


Teen She-Wolf

by LouisaHale



Series: Life and Times of a She-Wolf [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Violence, a little dark, mature themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 17:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 54,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1950450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouisaHale/pseuds/LouisaHale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A young blonde woman ran from the restored Hale house in tears. Her name was Erica Reyes. She was no one special." A Teen Wolf AU: a little bit dark, established pack, most everyone is in their twenties (besides Erica). </p><p>Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014<br/>Work Completed: March 16, 2014</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TEEN WOLF AU: Teen She-Wolf
> 
> INFO: Season one takes place when Scott and Stiles enter College. Crazy Peter storyline happens the same. Derek always knew Cora was alive and she accompanied him back to Beacon Hills. Hale Family helped build BH back in the day, also founded the local college, where the pack attends school and Derek is on the board of directors. Derek becomes Alpha, Scott to joins him, and Derek turns Stiles, Jackson, Boyd, Isaac, and Danny. No Kanima story. Darach story happens, Boyd doesn't die; Ethan and Aiden join Derek when they are Betas again. Malia Tate is a born wolf, who joins the pack during Darach mess.
> 
> Pack Members - Wolves (in order they joined): Derek (Alpha), Cora, Scott, Stiles, Jackson, Isaac, Boyd, Danny, Malia, Ethan and Aiden
> 
> Pack Members – NonWolves : Allison (Hunter/Mate), Lydia (Banshee/Mate), Kira (Kitsune/Mate)
> 
> Pack Emissaries: Alan Deaton, Braeden Deaton (In Training)
> 
> Main Pairing: Derek/Erica
> 
> Background Pairings: Scott/Isaac/Allison, Cora/Stiles, Aiden/Lydia, Jackson/Kira, Danny/Ethan, Boyd/Malia

A young blonde woman ran from the restored Hale house in tears. She ran at a quick, almost inhuman pace into the forest, needing to put as much distance as possible between herself and her captors.

Her name was Erica Reyes. She was no one special. She was seventeen years old and a senior in high school. She was known as the school freak because of her epilepsy, she had no friends her age, she got good grades and got to take classes at the local college for credit. Right now she was extremely frightened and wanted the safety of home. She needed her mother to hold her tight and she needed her dad to tell her she was safe.

But at the moment she was being pursued by several people with glowing yellow and blue eyes, claiming to be werewolves. They were insane. She recognized most of them from the classes she took at Hale College. Never in a million years did she ever think they would be accomplices to her abduction.

She was surprised that the stress of the last ten minutes and the physical exertion hadn't caused a seizure. Waking up in an unfamiliar bedroom, in an unfamiliar house filled mostly with men, talking to each other about being werewolves and how their alpha finally had a mate was terrifying, realizing someone had changed her out of her hospital gown and into a male's clothes was also terrifying.

This afternoon she was laying on a gurney after being examined by Nurse McCall, waiting for her parents and the doctor to arrive. She had a seizure in school that day, right in the middle of economics, and it was mortifying. It had been her fault; she hadn't been taking her meds because of the side effects.

She had closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them she was being wheeled down the hallway by an unseen stranger who told her to lay still when she began to freak out. He took her to the morgue and began to question her about her medication and her seizures, telling her he could make everything better. She wished he could make it better but there was no cure for epilepsy, the man was crazy if he thought otherwise.

He was beautiful, and if he hadn't been so damned creepy she could have developed a crush on him. But he had taken her to the morgue, questioned her, creeped her out with his gaze, and stroked her face fondly while smiling sinisterly. This guy was bad news; she did not need the red eyes and fangs to tell her that, she had figured that out before they made an appearance.

She was running out of breath, so she hid behind a large tree, listening to the sounds around her hoping her captors weren't gaining on her. While catching her breath, she cupped the bite marks at the base of her neck, another contribution to her running away. She remembered the beautiful monster's fangs coming toward her neck, those red eyes, but as soon as she felt the scrape of teeth on her skin she passed out.

Perhaps these people weren't actually crazy; perhaps they were werewolves. If they were, they were different than the man she met earlier, their eyes glowed yellow and blue when she had look back briefly and saw them all pouring out of the mansion. She had heard them talking about an alpha, and Mr. Creepy wasn't present so she assumed that the man she met earlier was this Alpha.

What did they want with her? Why did Alpha bite her? Was she one of them now? Why her? They were the only ones that could answer her questions, and she did not want to go back to them.

"Erica! We aren't going to hurt you!" A male voice yelled, from a distance away.

"Yeah Stilinski, like she'll believe that." A female voice said from a completely different direction. "She only just woke up in a strange place, in the middle of transition. She is not going to trust us. Boy did my big brother screw this up or what."

"Would you two shut up? Just go back to the house and bone already, we can find the new girl without you." Said another male voice from another direction. "I'm on the opposite side of the property and can smell the lust on the two of you."

She heard multiple voices; from multiple directions agree with the second male.

"Shut up Jackson, let's keep looking. Anyone have her sent?" the female said.

"Guys, if she's in transition, she has wolf hearing too." A third male said, "She can hear us discussing her."

"McCall's right. No discussing if you're close to finding her, howl if you got her." The female said.

"Hey Erica. We know you can hear us. My name is Stiles, we don't want to harm you. We all have been through the transformation, we just want to help."

Erica kept quiet. But listened to them, their conversation was answering her questions without having to be near them, and it calmed her a bit to have names.

"I'm Cora." The female said "You can talk back to us Erica, it won't make a difference in how quickly we find you."

"Hi." She whispered. "What is happening to me? Who are you people?"

"She Speaks!" Stiles said. "Your becoming a wolf, like us. Becoming apart of our pack. You're probably scared right now so you don't realize how awesome we are and how awesome you are by association."

A different female laughed. "Hi Erica, I'm Malia. Ignore Stiles."

"How many of you are out here?"

"Ten." The voice let everyone know she could hear them said. "There's more of us at the house, but Allison, Kira and Lydia aren't wolves and stayed behind in case Derek came back home before we got you back. I'm Scott by the way. Everyone should introduce themselves who hasn't."

"Jackson."

"Vernon, but my friends call me Boyd."

"Isaac."

"Danny."

"Ethan."

"Aiden."

"Hi. I'm Erica, but you knew that… who is Derek?"

"You've met him." Stiles said. "Moody dude, definition of a sourwolf, red Alpha eyes, those who don't know him may find him a bit…creepy."

"He bit me."

"Yes." Cora responded.

"Why?"

"It's best that you talk to him about that…" Scott said.

She was going to ask another question when she heard an angry howl…almost sounding like a roar coming from the direction she ran from.

"Oh, no. Sour-Alpha is home." Stiles said.

"Everyone, clear the woods now." Scott said. "He's pissed steer clear of him."

"Erica." Malia said, only she was closer this time…she was standing a few yards away from Erica holding out her hand. She had curly brown hair, was petite and her eyes were electric blue. "It would be best if you came back with me, Derek is angry he will chase you down. He's known for not being nice about it too."

Erica weighed her options and stood up, walking toward Malia. She could keep running, but these people were wolves and could find her quickly. This Derek was an alpha and angry, she had no doubt he would find her faster than Malia had.

Malia howled as Erica took her hand. "That just let them know I found you and I'm on my way back, so Derek doesn't come looking." Malia told her. "Ready to run?"

"No." she said, but Malia started running and pulled her along so Erica had no choice to follow.

Soon they made it to the clearing she had just run from. Malia let go of her hand as soon as they got to the porch and ran past Mr. Creepy and into the house, where Erica heard the rest of the pack conversing.

She had no time to listen in because as soon as Malia was inside, Mr. Creepy…Derek was in front of her eyes red and pissed expression on his face.

"I am your alpha." He growled grabbing her, one arm encircling her waist drawing her close, the other hand caressing her face and lifting her gaze to his. "You do not run from me. Do you understand Erica?"

She nodded, her fear returning full force. He was frightening to be near; he radiated this intensity that made her unable to speak and the authority in his voice made her not want to disobey.

Then he did something unexpected. He kissed her.

She did not know how to respond. This was her first kiss and she was going on instinct in kissing back. She couldn't bring herself to enjoy it, she didn't know him, he turned her into a monster, and had basically kidnapped her. Was that supposed to make her want to kiss him? Did he kiss all the wolves?

He broke the kiss and pulled her into his chest, in a hug. She stood completely still, wishing this was some bizarre dream.

Things got more complicated as he stroked her hair and whispered. "My Mate."

That was when she passed out for the second time in twenty-four hours.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

The next time she woke up it was morning in the same room she woke up in last night before she ran. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the house was filled with laughter and she wasn't alone in the bed.

She stilled at the last observation, because based on the arm wrapped around her waist and the fact that something hard was pressed into her lower back, her bunkmate was Derek. The one that proclaimed she was his mate, the one that changed her life by biting her and turning her into a supernatural creature. Based on her interactions with Derek so far, she did not like him one bit.

She struggled out from underneath him arm and left the room. When she reached the hallway she gave a thought to running again, this time not stopping for rest. She descended the stairs and stared at the front door, trying to decide if she could make it. She didn't want Derek coming after her, she knew he wouldn't be as kind as his pack was to her last night by talking her down, he would just drag her back; he seemed like a caveman in that way.

"I don't recommend it." Someone said to her left. She looked and she was standing right next to a family room where many people were gathered, staring at her. The voice she recognized from last night as Jackson. She supposed this morning she would be matching more names with faces.

She blushed and looked down at her feet; embarrassed she was caught before she even ran. The girl that was perched on the arm of Jackson's chair smiled brightly and walked towards her. "Hi. I'm Kira." She said pulling Erica into a quick hug before turning to the group. "Now you all have to stop calling me 'New Girl'." Kira grabbed Erica's hand and dragged her toward the room to the right of the staircase.

Everyone stood up and followed her and Kira, Malia was closest to her and clarified what was happening "Now that you're up we can eat breakfast. There's no point in waiting for Derek, he's not a morning person."

"Or an afternoon person, or a evening person…" Said Stiles as they all reached the table and began taking places "He really is just a Sourwolf 24/7 isn't he?"

A brunette slapped him on the head "Stop trash talking my big brother."…Cora's voice.

"Just paying compliments to the person who helped shape your winning personality, my love." He smiled, turning to Erica. "I had a huge crush on Derek before Cora followed him to town. The day she threatened to punch me in the face if I didn't shut up is the day she stole my heart."

"How charming." A red-headed girl said sarcastically from her seat next to one of the twins. "I'm Lydia. Sit there at the head of the table Erica, and eat something, you weren't up in time for dinner last night, so lord only knows the last time you ate was."

Erica had ignored her stomach until Lydia mentioned it, so she did as instructed, not failing to notice that her assigned seat was the furthest away from the entrances to the entry way and the kitchen, so any escape attempt was out of the question. The table was filled with breakfast food, and the food was still warm, and everyone was passing platters around and selecting what they wanted for their plates. So Erica took what caught her eye as Cora passed it to her and then passed it on to the boy that sat to her right…she later learned that he was Scott.

She ate in relative silence, still wary of her surroundings. She listened to the loud conversations around her and put names with faces. Everyone was fine to leave her be, probably sensing her unease, until Lydia spoke again.

"You poor thing. Don't worry Erica we will fix that. No friend of mine will walk around in Derek Hale's T-Shirt an basketball shorts for longer than she needs too."

"It wasn't exactly my choice. Someone dressed me while I was passed out…" She spoke uneasily. Not wanting to think of the possibility that Derek undressed her.

"I know, Cora and Allison did that." Lydia said glaring at the girls in question. "No one thought to tell her that our dear Alpha or any of our perv-y males weren't the ones to change her out of her hospital gown?"

"We didn't exactly have time too tell her Lyd." Allison said defending herself, and then turning to Erica. "Sorry about that, as if you didn't have enough to worry about…"

"Derek brought back some of her clothes from her house last night." Isaac added. "Her mom put a bag together for her, after Derek and the Sheriff dropped the 'your-kid-is-a-supernatural-creature-now bomb' on them."

Erica dropped her fork at this. "My parents know about this? Where I am and that I'm a werewolf now? Is that why I'm not at home? Because they don't want me anymore." Erica said beginning to cry. Why else would her mother pack her a bag and not come get her? Her parents would never let her stay at a stranger's house, after said stranger had kidnapped her. It made no sense, they loved her.

"Oh no sweetie, that's not the case." Allison said, getting up from her seat and approaching Erica. "They love you, it's just best for you to stay here a few days while the transformation settles, so you don't hurt them by accident." Allison took a napkin and wiped her tears, then hugged her.

"Way to go Lahey." Jackson grumbled.

Isaac looked sheepish. "I'm sorry Erica."

Erica nodded, withdrawing from the hug and standing up. "I'm not hungry anymore, can someone tell me where my clothes are?"

"Should be in Derek's room." Cora told her, rising from the seat. "The room you woke up in. I'll show you the way."

"No you can stay, I know my way back." Erica said, not really wanting to spend time with them.

"When you're finished, come back downstairs." Lydia commanded. "I want to do a makeover. The bite does wonders for medical conditions, acne and wounds but it cannot teach you how to use a makeup brush. I looked you up in my yearbooks, you've always been pretty, but you just don't present yourself as pretty."

Erica nodded, blushing again. She remembered Lydia now; she was Queen Bee Lydia Martin, she used to be the IT girl at BHHS. Erica couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the fact Lydia Martin called her pretty and referred to her as a friend. She exited the room.

As she left the room "Oh boy, Derek has competition for the heart of the new girl. Did you hear her heartbeat spike when Lyd said she was pretty? Someone has a small crush on you Lydia." Aiden said. "I can't find it in my heart to be mad about this."

"Everyone has a crush on Lydia." Cora said. "It doesn't mean that you have anything to worry about Aiden."

Erica's blushed deepened as the conversation went on. During breakfast, before things turned sour, they had give her tips on how to dull the werewolf hearing, so she put those tips to work as she walked towards Derek's room, not wanting to eavesdrop any further, and needing to focus on her upcoming encounter with the Alpha.

She opened the door to the bedroom, only to find that it was empty and had been re-made. She was about to sigh in relief when Derek emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. He walked over to her pulling her into a hug and placing a kiss at the top of her head. "Good Morning." He said.

Erica froze at the contact; luckily he took the hint and ended the hug after a few uncomfortable seconds. "Hi. Isaac said you visited my parents last night, and brought some clothes back."

He nodded and took her by the hand, leading her to the door that was next to the bathroom. He opened it to reveal a large walk-in closet, one half was filled with male's clothing and the other half was bare except for a duffle bag that sat on top of a small dresser. She recognized the duffle as her own. Her aunt had gotten it for her as a Christmas gift a few years ago saying that every teenaged girl needed her own duffle for sleepovers, sports and other after-school activities. Her aunt had forgotten that Erica had no friends to invite her to sleepovers, and couldn't really participate in sports. Erica had kept it because it was pretty (a light pink and black with her name embroidered on it in gold lettering), and she held out hope she would have friends one day.

"Thanks" She said extracting her hand from his and walking toward her bag.

"Feel free put the bag toward the bag with my empty luggage when you put all your clothes in their place." He said. "Oh and here, your mom said you might want this." She turned around at the last sentence to see that he held out her iPhone for her.

"What kind of kidnapper lets you use the phone?" She pondered as she took it from him, not realizing that she spoke her thoughts.

"I'm not a kidnapper Erica." He said his eyes flashing red.

"Let's just agree to disagree on that front." She said backing away from him.

She noticed that his hands were forming fists, and he looked like he was controlling a burning rage. "I took the liberty of putting my number and the number of the rest of our pack into your phone." Was his response as he left the room.

When she heard the bedroom door close, she turned back to her bag. Before she realized what she had done all the T-shirts, pajamas, jeans and underwear were placed in the dresser or on the shelves and her bag was on the shelf on the back wall of the closet next to an few empty suitcases. That was odd, she hadn't wanted to put her clothes away, giving the impression she was going to stay here awhile in fact she remembered a mental eye-roll when he suggested that she was going to put her clothes away. What made her do that?

As she got dressed she tried to calm herself, but it wasn't working. This situation was beyond scary and she just wanted to go home. So she used her phone and called her parents.

"Erica sweetie? Are you okay? Please tell me you are okay!" Her mother yelled through the phone.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Deciding to be honest about it. "I just want to come home. I don't want to be here. They said I couldn't come home for a few days because I might hurt you."

Apparently her mom had her on speaker because her father said "I'll start the car. No daughter of mine is staying at a house full of strangers, I don't care if they are supernatural creatures that can help her get used to being supernatural."

"Thank god." Her mother said, Erica heard the shuffling around and the slam of the door and the roar of their car. "I know that the Sheriff said his son was there too, and that you were safe but I'd rather you be home. Werewolf or not, you're my little girl, and my little girl belongs safely in her room each night."

Erica sighed in relief. Her parents were coming for her, they still loved her and they wanted to help her through being a werewolf. Her house was only a five-minute drive from the Hale property. And if she knew her parents they would break all traffic laws to rescue her.

"They haven't hurt you have they?" Her dad asked.

Besides Derek being a creeper, turning her against her will and chasing her through the woods? "No Daddy."

"Well, I'm bringing my gun anyways, in case that Hale boy tries to stop you from leaving. I don't like that prick. He looked like he expected a medal from us because turning you cured your epilepsy." Her dad said.

"You two are taking this real well, I still don't believe this is anything other than a nightmare."

"I only believe this surreal situation is real because the Hale boy turned. Went all furry right in the living room. It was the damndest thing Erica. Your mother keeps asking me to pinch her to make sure she's awake."

She was still standing in the closet having this conversation, after her father spoke she felt the presence of someone behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

She was still standing in the closet, after her father spoke she when she felt the presence of someone behind her. She slowly turned to find Cora, Malia and Lydia standing behind her. She got scared she they weren't going to let her leave.

"Kira and Allison went to go open the property gates for your parents." Cora said. "Derek went for a run when he heard your dad say they were on their way, he doesn't want you to go but doesn't want to keep you here against your will."

With that she left the closet and followed them to the front door.

"We sent the boys out with him, to keep his mind off it so he doesn't follow you home like the creepy wolf he is." Malia said softly, so her parents wouldn't hear.

"Also, I'm taking you shopping tomorrow. No discussions. You need a new wardrobe and a makeover, my treat." Lydia told her.

"We're pulling up now sweetie." Her mom said and Erica hung up the phone. Cora opened the front door and Erica observed the property in the daylight. What had she been thinking? The land was huge, and the woods surrounding it looked like it went on for many miles. The driveway itself was a mile long, but the view to the road was unobstructed enough for Erica (and her new wolf senses) to see the brick wall end on either side of the driveway each part of the wall was connected to half of an iron gate. She saw her parents' SUV pull up to the gate, as Allison and Kira each opened half of the gate so her parents could enter.

Erica giddily ran toward her parents when they exited the vehicle, hugging her mom first. "Ow, honey you're hurting me."

Erica let go of her mother like she had burned her. "Sorry. I didn't mean too."

"Okay, I have to be the bad guy for a minute." Cora interrupted. "You don't feel the full effects of your transformation yet because your wolf is calmed by the presence of your pack and your mate. Once you leave the grounds of  _Wolf's Run_ * you will slowly begin to feel the effects of your change full force. You may shift when you get too emotional. I was born this way so I know the importance of the pack sticking together, but I'm told that this is most likely confusing for you, and you don't trust us."

Malia then continued. "Please don't hesitate to call any of us at any time of day. We know you don't believe that we care about you, because of the way you were turned but we do. Please keep in touch. We typically have pack meeting around dinnertime, it would be nice for you to come to a few. And we would like to start your training ASAP."

Erica nodded. She really didn't believe what they were saying. She felt fine. They were just making things seem worse than they would be so she would not leave. These freaks abducted her so she didn't trust them. Most of them seemed nice, but how much of the niceness was to keep her here and how much of it was real?

They said their goodbyes and she got in the car. Her father sped down the drive grumbling about the little rich boy that named his huge estate  _Wolf's Run_. "Could he be more obvious that he is not normal?" He said as they left the property and Allison and Kira closed the gates.

As soon as she left  _Wolf's Run_  she felt something in her snap, the overwhelming urge to go back. Then a howl sounded, like the one she heard from Derek last night. Only this howl wasn't angry this one sounded sad. More howls joined Derek.

Was her departure really causing that much pain for herself and the pack?

"Erica, honey. Your eyes are glowing yellow." Her mother said.

"I can't calm down Mom. I feel it. I thought they were lying, but it feels like my body is tearing itself apart and rearranging itself again." Erica said in a panic, looking down at the claws her fingernails were becoming. "What if I hurt you?"

"You wont." Her dad said though gritted teeth. "You love us, just calm yourself down."

Erica thought that was easier said than done… so she thought about what would calm her and her newly emerging inner beast: love? Family? Pack? Those things helped but her transformation only completely stopped and reversed itself when she though of one person. Derek.

Now she wanted to puke.

* * *

The night and the following day were difficult but bearable. Her first night back she scratched her mother with her claws when her mom got too close during an unexpected transformation, but it wasn't a serious injury. Her mom said she was fine. But she could see her parents slowly beginning to doubt if taking her from  _Wolf's Run_ had been the best idea after all.

The next day was a bit better. Lydia, Allison and Kira showed up at 10 am to take her shopping. Her anxiety immediately calmed.  _Packmates. Safety._  Were the words that ran through her mind. They all looked worried when she told them about last night but did not pressure her to return to _Wolf's Run._ They spent nearly the whole day together. Shopping and getting to know one another.

They filled her in on how the pack came to be. The story began with the Hale fire that the only survivors were Derek, his sisters and Peter. How Peter killed Laura Hale to become a killer Alpha bent on vengeance for the fire that killed most his family, and how this drew the Argent hunters back to town. Peter then bit Scott, turning him and Lydia (which triggered her Banshee gene instead of turning her to a wolf). He was eventually was killed by Derek, making Derek the new Alpha.

Within weeks of becoming Derek becoming Alpha, Cora returned to Beacon Hills, and Stiles, Jackson, Isaac, Boyd and Danny were turned. They started to get along and work together as a team. Allison turned her back on the hunting lifestyle and swore loyalty to Hale Pack because she was in love with Scott and Isaac. Her dad followed suit but her grandfather did not approve and tried killing the pack. When he could not kill the wolves he set his sights on Allison for being a traitor. Her father was forced to kill his father to save his child. Allison's mother wasn't pleased with her choice and in the end her parents and the hunters that followed them left town. Allison still kept in contact with her parents, but the relationship was icy.

During the mess with the Argents, Lydia was terrorized by the sprit of Peter Hale. Eventually being possessed enough to resurrect him. Derek was pissed with her after that, but soon realized it wasn't her fault. Peter left town after his resurrection with a cryptic message of "I have things to do, people to see."

This past fall, a pack of Alphas showed up in town wanting to recruit Derek by force. A dark druid with a vendetta started to do human sacrifices to gain enough power to kill the Alpha pack's leader. The Twins left the Alpha's when they realized that Lydia and Danny were their mates, and refused to fight against them. Unfortunately, the realization came too late and the Dark druid attacked the alpha's lair and killed the Twins (while they were in their merged form) and two of the other Alphas. The alpha leader and the druid fought one another until they both died. The twins did not die permanently; they just lost their alpha powers and the ability to merge into a super wolf. They joined Derek's pack officially after that. She also was told that Maila joined the pack around that time, but they told her that Malia's story was her own story to tell.

Kira said that she was Maila's roommate initially and they knew that the other was different right away. When Malia met the pack (or rather she met Boyd and them was introduced as his new lady-friend to the pack), they had the answers to all her questions about being a wolf. So later when Kira mentioned her parents were cryptic on what she was, saying that the time to know would come soon Mailia thought that her new pack could help Kira. Derek immediately called her a baby Kitsune and inferred that since he could see her aura that didn't know how to control her powers or what type of kitsune she was. Then Jackson walked in, growled and kissed her, and she been apart of the pack ever since then, slowly figuring out what she was.

She had a nice time and was a bit more comfortable with the idea of the pack; now that she knew their story. They cared about her wellbeing, and the thought of them comforted her wolf.

Her inner peace was disturbed once she returned home for dinner. She knew that these people were her parents, that they loved her and would not harm her but as soon as the moon was high in the sky her anxieties around them mounted and it was difficult to keep in human form. Her parents tried to hug her and calm her but it was no use. The closer they got to her the more her inner self yelled ' _Not Pack…Not Safe…Protect self…'_. She ended up running to her room and locking the door, unable to finish the meal without thoughts of harming them to protect herself.

"Erica, it will get better. We love you." Her father said through the door. But as a wolf she could hear the deception, he did not believe his own words. Yes, he loved her but he did not believe this was going to get better.

"I love you too." She said and afterward she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The next day was a Monday, so she went to school. She wore one of the dresses Lydia bought her and the leather jacket that was given to her with the reason _'because everyone in the pack has a leather jacket, it wasn't really planned it just happened.'_ She did not wear make up, it would feel too ridiculous to her, changing her appearance that quickly.

She sat down in her first period class trying to calm herself. She could hear the whispers and they were getting to her.

_The freak got a wardrobe change._

_I hear she was spotted at the mall with members of Derek Hale's cult of stunningly attractive people._

_Why would they want to spend time with her? Do her seizures entertain them?_

_Maybe they saw the video that you put online last year Bill, and wanted to meet the talent in person._

_Doesn't matter, they'll get bored of her soon. No one befriends the freak for long._

Erica wanted to cry but also had the urge to tear out their throats. She looked down at her hands and saw her claws coming out again, and could feel her face start to change.

Just then the girl that sat next to her in class got up and grabbed Erica's bag and her own bag. "Follow me and keep your head down. Keep calm."

She did as she was told. As the girl led her towards the locker rooms she remembered her name. Braeden Deaton, the daughter of the local veterinarian. Then she remembered, yesterday during shopping, Lydia telling her about the type of druids called emissaries that advised wolf packs and the local vet was Emissary to the Hale Pack. If Braeden was the daughter of an Emissary, then she must have known what was happening to Erica.

"Are you an Emissary?" She said as they arrived in the girls locker room.

"No, my dad is. I'm still in training, not ready to advise a pack on my own yet. I may take over advising Hale pack when dad retires though. So we will see one another a bunch." She said sitting down next to Erica. "You better now?"

"A bit calmer." Erica responded. "Thanks Braeden."

"No problem." She said. "I don't know why you came back so soon, new wolves usually need a week or two with the pack to learn control before attempting to go back to school. You should be at  _Wolf's Run_  Training."

"I left, on Saturday. I felt trapped."

Braden looked shocked. "Oh, well… I can't bite my tongue on this. You have to know how reckless that is, and what a stupid decision you made leaving."

Erica felt her anger rise. "I wanted to go home and be with my family."

"I understand that Erica, but you must realize that since they are not apart of your pack, your wolf feels unsafe and the need to protect itself. When an animal feels like that it lashes out. You and your beast can love your family all you want but that won't stop you both from trying to rip their throats out if you feel threatened."

Erica began to cry. "I'm beginning to realize that."

Braeden nodded as the bell rang. "Hey listen, I'm sorry for being blunt but it will be my job one day. I have to go to class. I've texted Derek. He says he's sending Cora and Malia to hang out with you the rest of the day. They'll settle your wolf down. Take care of yourself Erica."

Erica looked up as Braden began to leave. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it." She said leaving the room.

Ten minutes later the locker room doors opened again. Erica looked up to see Cora and Malia. Immediately she felt calmer. The feeling inside her that felt like she was being torn in two dulled so much that she barely felt it.

 _Packmates. Smell similar to mate._   _Safety._

"Hi girlie." Malia said sitting next to her, giving her a one armed hug. "Tough few days huh?"

Erica nodded, letting a tear fall.

"Let's go somewhere else. I don't like being back in high school." Cora said. "Then we can talk."

"Stiles is right. You do get your charm from your brother." Malia giggled, standing up holding her hand out for Erica. Erica took it, stood up and grabbed her bag. The three of them then left the school and got into and expensive looking black car. Cora drove, Malia was in front and Erica took the back.

"Where to?" Cora asked.

"Do you mind driving to my house?"

"Nope." She said starting the car and beginning the drive.

"Sweetie, you know that you will have to come at least visit the pack-home someday right? You need training and to strengthen your bond with all of us, that is the only way you can control transformations, having yourself anchored to pack."

Erica sighed. "I'm realizing that. I guess I'm so afraid on this whole mate business with Derek that I'm being stubborn. I'm a teenager, I am so not ready to be anybody's mate yet."

"Well don't think of him like that, think of him as an alpha and friend first. He doesn't expect the two of you to mate right away. Just build a friendship with him and the rest of us. The whole mate thing happens when it happens." Malia told her. "Don't let that be the reason to put yourself and others in danger."

Erica nodded. "I guess I should talk with him about this at some point. Maybe tomorrow. I really am not in the mood today."

"Sounds like a plan." Cora said, pulling up in front of Erica's house. "Let's just hang out and talk just us she-wolves."

* * *

They spent the morning and afternoon discussing talking, Cora commented on how nice it was to have another female wolf in the pack after so long with just male wolves. She said that the boys often had their egos bruised around her an Malia and it got annoying. They explained to her that it was because female wolves are a bit stronger than males of the same age. Which led to an interesting discussion.

"If female wolves are stronger, how come Derek never gave the bite to a girl before me." Erica asked.

Mailia sighed before responding. "Well for one, female transitions are a bit more complex than males, you know because we can carry children. You are not only having your DNA re-written Erica, you are having your reproductive physiology altered to resemble that of people like Cora and I who were born she-wolves. We can't go to human doctors, because once they get a look inside they start asking questions."

"And Secondly, it just isn't done." Cora said. "An unmated alpha having unrelated female wolves is his pack is just asking for trouble when mating season comes along; especially if the she-wolf is not the mate of another pack member. He'd run the risk of forming a mating bond with someone who wasn't his mate…yes, in the frenzy of heat he wouldn't care, neither of them would, but once they saw their mate for the first time, they'd regret it."

"The pull a wolf feels when they see their mate is stronger for born wolves and even stronger for alphas like Derek. If he was in a mating bond with someone else and then he saw you he'd be in agony. Wolves mate for life Erica, he would be stuck with someone who wasn't his soulmate." Malia finished.

Erica paused trying to digest this information and all the other information she had been give over the past few days."But Malia, that makes no sense. You're a female wolf and in Derek's pack."

Malia laughed. "Even if I wasn't mated to Boyd it wouldn't be a problem honey. Derek and Cora are my biological cousins."

"What? Your last name is Tate, isn't it? I'm sorry you all never mentioned that."

Maila smiled and sat up straighter. "It's not a secret, it just isn't common knowledge. We only found out recently when I came to town to start school at Hale College." Her features darkened, and Erica could practically smell sadness coming from Malia before she spoke again.

"When I was eight my mom, sister and I were on our way home. It was a full moon and I began to change, and the shock caused an accident that killed them. That's why my eyes are blue, I am responsible for their deaths.. Naturally when I showed up a few days later at home, my dad was glad I was alive and when I told him what happened he was upset. His daughter was responsible for the deaths of his wife and other daughter and that she was a freaky creature that had only been in fairy tales…" Mailia trailed off and wiped her tears before continuing. Cora, inched closer to her cousin and grabbed her hand.

Malia squeezed Cora's hand and continued on. "I didn't get the gene from my dad, and my mother was so shocked to see me transform that she crashed the car so I definitely didn't get it from her. This only confirmed for my dad that I wasn't biologically his, he had always suspected as much but never really cared to ask. He became okay with it after awhile, I was his little girl no matter what. We moved away from Beacon Hills after that. I came back here for school a few months ago and met Boyd, who I was immediately drawn too. After seeing one another for a week he brought me to  _Wolf's Run_  to introduce me to his pack as his intended mate. Derek and Cora smelt me and realized immediately that I was related to them. Peter had been resurrected and skipped town a few weeks before so they didn't tell him their suspicions, they just took a DNA sample from his room in the main house and the Emissary ran a DNA test confirming their suspicions. I was Peter Hale's biological child."

"How did your dad react?"

"Not well, especially after I told him about Peter's murderous tendencies and how he was dead but now he's not-dead. He dropped everything and decided to move back to Beacon Hills. He, Stiles and Scott's parents, Lydia's mom, and Kira's parents hang out a lot. Hey your parents should join their twisted little support group." Malia said finally brightening again, shaking off the sadness of her story.

"I'll let them know it exists." Erica said. "Does Peter know he has a kid?"

"He has been out of contact. Derek's worried he's up to something nefarious you know because he's Peter. Out of some sort of protective cousin/Alpha instinct, Derek hasn't made much of an effort to tell him about me. He says he wants me to live life as long as possible with out my psychotic father ruining things. I'm not looking forward to his inevitable return."

After Maila told her story, the conversation turned lighter. They told her about their relationship with their mates, the romantic history of everyone else in the pack and the friendships and rivalries that everyone had with each other. At the end of the day, Erica felt better about being apart of the pack, they sounded like a bunch of people that loved each other and were great friends. Maybe going to live with them for a while would not be so bad after all. But going back had to be her decision this time, she did not want to feel like a prisoner there.

She knew she would have to speak to Derek tomorrow and talk about her worries about coming back. She was slowly realizing it would be for the best to return to  _Wolf's Run,_ safer for her family, and less painful for herself. But she had some terms she needed met before she moved in.

She could get through one more night at home. Then in the morning she would call Derek and discuss everything. When he met her terms she would start to move her things to  _Wolf's Run_ and they could begin her training.

* * *

She told her parents her plans at dinner that evening. The air was already tense due to her attacks on her parents in the past day. So when her father slammed his fists on the table in frustration that about her moving out, her wolf-self saw it as a threat and felt attacked.

Before she could control it she shifted and lunged at him. She didn't want to hurt him and tried to stop herself but could not. Luckily, her father saw that she shifted and dodged her attack, which gave her enough presence of mind to stop herself. Unable to shift back she began to cry, which turned into a howl.

She ran upstairs to her room. Hearing howls of response in the distance and her phone ringing from down stairs.

 _"Hello."_  Her mothers' voice said shakily through the phone.

 _"What happened?"_  Said Derek.

_"She tried to attack her father again…Derek we think she need to come live at your estate. She was starting to think so too. She's afraid that she wont be able to stop herself again. And frankly so are we. We don't like that we can't help our daughter."_

_"I understand. But it is better for her safety and yours if she lives with us. The pack and I are on our way. We'll calm her down enough for her, you, your husband and I to talk about this more while the rest of them pack up her things."_

Her mother hung up the phone and began to sob, telling her father about the phone conversation. Then they both began to sob.

Erica joined them letting out another howl.

In the distance a group of howls sounded in response to her.

Her wolf settled a bit.  _Safety soon…Pack is coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:
> 
> *Hale Property/estate called Wolf's Run, have their own address (Eg, Main House aka The Den is 1 Wolf's Run Circle, Beacon Hills CA) There is a Main House, a Pool House (with an small apartment and attached to a Tool Shed/armory), 4 'Guest' Houses and a large Garage (filled with ATVs and some cars, with a parking lot for other cars on the side). We will find out most of the pack lives here on a permanent or semi permanent Basis, with the Hale family and their mates living in the Den and everyone else residing in the 'guest' houses/ pool house apartment. I will tell you more about the property and its features when they become relevant. But Derek Hale does not mess around when it comes to the safety of his pack.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

Less than ten minutes after hearing the response howls Erica began to hear the sound of engines approaching. She got off her spot on the bed and walked to the window. She was still shifted so she didn't want to leave the room in fear she'd hurt her parents but her wolf rejoiced at the arrival of her pack and wanted to run to greet them.

She was surprised that the whole pack came. She watched from the window as a camaro pulled up to the curb in front of her house, two SUV's pulled into the driveway and three motorcycles parked across the street.

Derek exited the camaro and immediately headed for the front door. The passenger doors of the first SUV opened as Cora and Malia leaped from the vehicle and followed Derek. She heard them ring the doorbell and her parents slowly making their way from the kitchen to the front door. As she waited for the Hales to be let in the house she observed the other vehicles. Boyd, Lydia and Stiles were at the trunk of SUV 1 and unloaded some suitcases. Lydia carried the duffle bag Erica had left at Wolf's Run, and by the sounds of it refused to carry anything else. SUV 2 had been driven by Allison with her passengers of Isaac, Danny, Jackson and Kira and they were also unloading suitcases from their truck. Scott and the Twins (who had arrived on the motorcycles) approached the SUVs and began to help unload. She heard them bickering on who had what job. It was decided that Lydia, Kira, and Allison would be in charge of clothing and toiletries; Stiles and Danny would be in charge of books, electronics and anything else needed for school; The Twins, Isaac and Boyd would bring empty cases in and full ones to the car and Jackson and Scott were in charge of packing the cars.

Erica had time while she was waiting for them to arrive to decide what she wanted to take but wanted no one to see her pack. She didn't want the pack to know she still kept a journal, or slept with a teddy and did not think they would deem it necessary to bring the blanket her grandmother made her when she was ten or pictures of her parents and extended family. So she had emptied her backpack and placed the aforementioned items in it along with her laptop and her chargers for her phone/ laptop, then zipped it up and placed in to the bed next to her purse.

Her mother had opened the door and directed the Hale family toward the stairs. Erica opened the bedroom door for them and sat on her bed to wait. She heard them take the stairs two at a time rushing to get to her. With each step closer they got the calmer she was, but despite having calmed down and feeling safe in their presence, she couldn't shift back.

Within seconds of being let in the house they were in her doorway. Derek rushed towards her, picked her up and held her tight. She didn't mind the contact, as the close proximity to him was the catalyst to her shifting back. His sister and cousin joined the embrace as soon as he initiated it.

"Better now?" Malia asked after a minute.

"Yes." Erica said, reluctantly, not wanting the embrace to end. Being held this tightly by all three Hales was the safest and most loved she had felt in her lifetime.

"Are you ready to talk with your parents?" Cora asked as her and Malia let go and Derek began to place her back on her own two feet.

Erica began to cry, but she surprisingly did not shift as she cried. "I couldn't stop myself. I almost killed my parents multiple times this weekend and I couldn't stop. I was too stubborn to call for help and my dad could be dead right now because of that."

"Shhh." Derek said, bringing her into a gentler hug than the previous one, and petting her hair. "He's fine. Your mom's fine. And you are fine. We are here now and we are going to take care of you. You're safe now."

Her wolf content with the contact and even more pleased that her mate and alpha promised her safety. "I know you're scared about your transformation, wary of our pack and afraid of what being a mate means. But I need you to focus on one thing. We all care about you; no one in this pack will ever harm you in any way, including me. Let us do our job right now and help you through this."

She nodded.

He kissed her forehead and addressed Cora and Malia. "I need you there while I talk to her parents. Sit on either side of her and keep her calm. They may say some things to make her feel like they are threatening her or the pack and we don't any more close calls tonight." He then addressed her. "I can do most of the talking, they are angry and frightened right now and feel the need to blame someone for this, that someone is me. It is my fault after all. Speak when you feel the need, but they most likely will want to yell at me, call us freaks among other things, and want assurance you will be taken care of and get the help you need okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's do this." Cora said grabbing her hand. Derek exited the room first and Malia, Cora and herself followed. As she reached the living room she heard the rest of the pack enter the house and begin seeing to their assigned tasks.

* * *

The talk had lasted an hour and a half, was loud, emotional and difficult to get through for her. All the things that Derek predicted would happen did happen. The first half hour alone was filled with how her father and mother hated Derek for turning her into a thing/monster/freak like him. Erica had cried that her parents called her those names and her wolf was angry at the threats that they had leveled against her mate and her pack. They threatened to hand him over to the government to be studied, expose what they were to the community, and find a way to kill them all because they were sure that monsters like them were killers. Eventually they calmed down and wanted to know about what this mate business meant, if she was going to control it eventually, would they take care of her, and would she ever be able to come home to see them.

Derek explained that Erica was his mate, but he had no intention of pursuing her romantically until she was ready, that she would live in the master suite of the main house and he had moved some of his things to a guest room until she was ready to be his Mate in more than just name. He told them that with training and time she would learn how to control her shifts enough to live with her parents again if she chose, and would be stable enough to go to school again within a week or two. Finally he informed them that yes, she would be taken care of, pack protects and loves each other, and everyone would help her.

By the time the talk was over and her parents hugged her goodbye, the pack had left to unpack her things at  _Wolf's Run._ Malia and Cora had left with the rest of the pack, the as conversation had gotten to a calm point when the pack started to leave. So now it was just Derek and Erica in his car.

He started the car and she sighed, looking towards the doorway where her parents stood waving. She waived back and gave them a small smile; in an attempt to reassure them she was fine. She still loved them even if they called her and her pack some horrible names. She was sure they still loved her and were just lost on how to parent someone like her.

"I left them the Sheriff and Melissa's home number* so they could talk to someone who has had a child change. Scott and Stiles were adults when they were bitten, but their parents can help your parents through what they're going through, so we can focus on you."

Derek then pulled away from the curb and continued down the street. That sat in silence for most of the ride, but Erica had been uncomfortable with that. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"I'll always be here for you Erica." He said as his phone rang. "What!" was how he answered, perhaps the kind and caring Derek she had seen in the past few hours was an anomaly reserved for her because he had just reverted to the winning personality that Stiles and Malia were constantly referencing.

" _Hello to you too dear Alpha."_  Jackson's voice snarked from the phone. _"Stilinski and McCall started a boycott on unloading the cars about fifteen minutes ago and refused to continue if we did not order pizza for dinner. Like children."_

 _"Not like children!"_  She heard Stiles yell in the background.  _"Like responsible adults who are hungry and looking out for the dietary needs of the pack!"_

 _"Whatever. They threw a tantrum."_  Jackson said. " _So we ordered our usual, but you have to go pick it up Derek, they refuse to deliver that much pizza anymore. We should be fine on drinks."_

"Fine. But that room better be done when we get home."

_"I don't know about that Derek. Lahey is folding scarves very slowly and hasn't contributed much else."_

"I don't have any scarves." Erica said.

 _"The creep bought some for you yesterday. Ow! McCall what was that for? Your boy-mate is weird about scarves. Everyone knows that."_ Jackson said.

Derek had been rolling his eyes more than a grown man should during this exchange and hung up the phone before Jackson could say much else. "Idiots." He grumbled.

Erica let out a giggle, not able to help herself; her mind had been taken away from the sadness of leaving home to imagining what living with the pack would be like. From the interaction she had seen so far, there would never be a dull moment.

Derek looked over at her and grinned. "That's a nice sound to hear." He said as he drove towards the shops of downtown instead of taking the roads that would lead to the outskirts of Beacon Hills and  _Wolf's Run_.

They ended up at her favorite pizzeria she accompanied Derek in to get the order. The cashier looked a bit overworked and glared at Derek. "Really Hale? Why in the world do you need seven party tray pizzas? Do you know how long that takes to make? What kind of parties are you having?

"My little sister and her friends have large appetites. You know college kids." He said taking out his wallet and handing the man a card.

"The order isn't done yet. Give us like fifteen. Got both ovens working overtime."

"Thanks."

They sat on the bench across from the counter and waited in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. But the longer they waited the more the high emotions of the day weighed on her so she ended up resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

* * *

When they pulled up to the gates of  _Wolf's Run_  thirty minutes later, Erica was anxious again. Not only had she had a twenty-minute nap on her alpha/mate's shoulder, but also she was moving into his house, with his pack…that she now belonged to. The situation was awkward and terrifying at the same time and she didn't know how to handle it.

Derek entered in numbers on a keypad and the iron gates swung open and he made his way down the drive. Erica's heart felt like it had crawled up into her throat as she looked into the rearview mirror and saw the gates close. This was it. She lived here now. She was a werewolf, living with her pack on a large estate.

Derek pulled around the main house towards a large garage and parked outside it. Erica looked around at the property and saw one building the size of the garage and four buildings the size of her parent's house. Lydia mentioned that the whole pack lived at  _Wolf's Run_ on a permanent or semi permanent basis instead of having a dorm at school or living with their parents in town. She said they all preferred to be in one place, so Erica assumed that meant they all lived in what they called the Den. She rethought that scenario seeing the four houses, a few which had left lights on.

She exited the car and went to grab for the pizzas when Derek shook his head pointing out the back. She looked toward the Den and saw the kitchen door open and three figures exit the house, the motion triggering the lights on the back porch. Lydia, Kira and Allison walked to the car and each gave her a hug.

"Welcome home." Kira said when the hugging was finished. Erica didn't mind the hugging, it helped to soothe the anxieties she was having and her inner-wolf relished at the attention from her pack-mates.

"Derek, we're going to help you with the food and setting up for dinner." Allison said to the alpha, "The others have a surprise in the living room for you." she told Erica.

Derek snorted. "I don't think she'll be okay with that tradition tonight…" Derek said, beginning to hand the others pizza to carry.

Lydia pushed her toward the house. "Of course she'll be okay with it. It's tradition for every newbie wolf. They aren't going to hurt you, go." She said pushing her again when Erica hesitated. "Cora, Stiles and Scott made this tradition when Jackson joined the pack. So it's a new wolf tradition. Go."

Erica reluctantly walked into the house, and made her way toward the living room, anxious again. She knew, (mostly because her wolf felt safe) that no one would hurt her. She was at her pack's home, she belonged here, pack-mates protected each other.

She heard their laughter and Stiles whispering for everyone to keep quiet, that traditions like these must be taken seriously. Which made Erica stop in her track for a bit, because from what she knew of Stiles, he wasn't serious about much.

She entered the living room to see all the wolves standing by the door.

"Hel-" before she could finish the word, Cora said go and they all tackled her.

"Puppy Pile!" Stiles laughed.

They were all either tickling her, kissing her forehead, and cuddling her, or nipping her with their wolf teeth playfully and Erica could help but laugh along with the rest of them. All nerves were gone, and she just enjoyed the 'puppy pile' and the love and belonging it made her feel.

After a few minutes, Derek came in and started pulling her pack-mates off her one by one, ordering them to the dinner table. Each of them told him how he was no fun as he pulled them off, until Stiles and Boyd were the last ones tickling her.

Derek pulled Stiles off her and as she heard "Unhand me Sourwolf!" Boyd stopped tickling her and helped her up off the ground.

"Thank yo-" She began to say, but Boyd had picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, walking her toward the dining room.

Her inner-wolf was content at the affection.

_Pack. Love. Safe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FootNotes:
> 
> * I hinted at this in the last chapter, and it isn't outright stated in this one but I thought I'd end any speculation in your minds…The Sheriff and Mama McCall are newly married (like in the past 6mths they got married) in this AU… so Stiles and Scott are Bffls AND Step-Brothers


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

Erica woke up the next morning in the master bedroom. Her bedroom. She sat up and looked around. In her previous visits to this room she hadn't taken the time to admire the space. It was large, yet cozy and the earth tones used to decorate complemented beautifully with the view of the woods from the large bedroom windows on either side of the bed.

She saw things that didn't belong to her scattered throughout, making her all to aware that Derek had only temporarily moved out, into an empty bedroom upstairs. Despite that she still felt comfortable in the space. Her clothes were in the closet, her toiletries, make up and jewelry were in the bathroom, one of the built-in bookshelves held her books and pictures, the window seat had her laptop, blanket, and journal on top and to her mortification they placed her teddy bear on the bed for her, and someone had attached a sticky note with a smiley face to it.

A knock sounded at her door as she examined her surroundings.

"Come in." She said. Malia poked her head in.

"Morning  _Pup_!" She grinned, walking in the room and jumping on the bed next to Erica.

"Pup?"

"Oh, that's the nickname Stiles and Isaac decided on for you. I like it."

"Why?"

"Wow you're a talkative  _puppy_  aren't you?" Malia said, in a tone one would use when talking to an infant.

Erica growled.

Malia just smiled in response. "Well they were going to focus on your hair…I think Jackson and the Twins will prefer to call you  _Blondie_ … but then Stiles was unpacking your backpack and found your teddy bear. I swear you could hear his brain firing faster at the possibilities. Then, apparently during the puppy pile last night it clicked that you were technically the puppy in the pack, being the youngest and all. After you went to bed last night he and Isaac had a hour long debate on whether or not the nickname  _Puppy_  was too simple, and they eventually decided it was perfect once Derek made his disapproval of the nickname known."

Erica groaned. On the one hand it was nice to be accepted into the pack so quickly and having the pack members call her a nickname to show their affection on the other hand did that affectionate nickname have to be Puppy?

Malia giggled. "You have the most adorable pout! Now time to get up! Boyd, Jackson and the Twins are almost done with breakfast, and you have to get dressed. We're training today… the guys usually wear shorts only and us girls are typically in sports bras and shorts, but I understand if you'd be uncomfortable with that." She said, getting off the bed. "Oh, and Cora added you to the chore rotation this morning. You, Allison, and Stiles are in charge of dinner."

* * *

In the next few days a simple routine was developed. They would have breakfast as a pack, she would train (with whoever didn't have class), then she would have lunch alone, during lunch she would call her parents (who were on their lunch breaks) to see how they were and to tell them her progress, after lunch she did her homework (that Braden was brining over for her everyday after school), then more training once the pack began coming home from classes, after that was dinner as a pack, and then socializing, getting to know her pack and then bed.

Derek typically left before breakfast and was home for dinner and pack bonding each night, so he hadn't trained with her yet. Apparently his job as head of Hale Holdings, (which headed all the companies his ancestors began) and his responsibilities to the College took a lot of his time on during the week. Cora was worried her brother would run himself ragged, and was getting her degree in business because she wanted to be her brother's second in command at the family's business just as she was in the pack.

Erica observed that since Derek and Cora were really close and had led a tragic life, they appreciated the larger loving pack the most because for nearly a decade after the fire at the Hale House it was the two of them and their older sister alone in the world. They both had gruff personalities but Erica found that underneath they were big softies. Through these interactions with the pack Erica grew to no longer fear Derek and began seeing him as a friend. Erica liked Cora to, but had already seen her as a friend before she moved to  _Wolf's Run_.

During the week Erica learned a lot of new things about her pack and began to feel comfortable around them. She saw them as her friends; her pack brothers and sisters.

The boys liked to tease her, pick her up and tackle her at every opportunity and once she realized they did it to everyone in the pack (including the non-wolves), not just her she began to see it for the affection it really was. Stiles and Isaac soon had everyone calling her  _Puppy_ , much to Jackson and the Twins dismay, because they preferred to call her  _Blondie_. When they saw that the nickname was irritating Erica; Boyd, Scott and Danny stopped calling her it because they didn't want to hurt her feelings. She quickly put a stop to that and had to explain the nicknames were fine, they just used it too much. Through these interactions she grew to care for all the boys and sometimes would slip up call them her big brothers out loud, which only led her to her being hugged and passed around in joy.

Her pack sisters teased her about being the youngest less, they treated her more as an equal than a little sister and called her  _Puppy_ less often. Despite this, Malia and Lydia liked to mother Erica, checking her homework each night and teaching her how to do her hair and makeup properly for when she started to leave  _Wolf's Run_  again. Sometimes Kira would rescue her from their clutches and bring her to the pool house apartment she lived in with Jackson to watch reality TV and chill. Cora and Allison disapproved of this and would hunt them down for extra training since Erica and Kira were the least combat ready of the whole pack.

* * *

During one afternoon training session with Cora, Stiles and the Twins, something alarming started to happen. She was trying to defend herself from an attack by both of the twins when Stiles yelled. "Holy shit. Look at her eyes!"

This freaked out Erica who paused and turned to Cora. "What is wrong with my eyes?" she said willing herself out of her shift.

The twins and Cora looked at Stiles quizzically. Then Cora turned to her and said. "Nothing. Your eyes are supposed to glow during a shift."

Stiles shook his head. "Yeah, her eyes are supposed to be yellow, but they keep flashing red. What the crap is that about!"

"I keep forgetting he wasn't born a wolf." Ethan said, turning to Aiden. "Should we tell him?"

"No, he doesn't listen when we speak anyway." Aiden told his brother.

Erica growled, beginning to panic. "Tell me."

"You're an alpha's mate, you have the ability to rise to alpha status in case Derek were to die." Ethan said, looking to Aiden to finish.

"So it stands to reason you will get some alpha abilities…like strength and the ability to alpha-order. Technically you're still a Beta, but you are also the alpha-mate. If Derek were to be killed by a wolf, that wolf would steal his power and Cora wouldn't be able to inherit his position as alpha. You then would rise as alpha and be able to keep the pack together." Aiden said.

Stiles sputtered. "But Cora is his second in command. She's the strongest Beta. We were told the strongest beta, with the closet relation to the alpha is the next alpha."

Cora sighed. "Only if Derek were killed by hunters, by accident, any supernatural besides a wolf or died of natural causes. Then I would become alpha. But if another wolf steals his power I would be unable to rise to alpha, Erica would rise because as his mate because she would be the last link to his power as alpha."

Erica began to hyperventilate for many reasons; first because her wolf-wanted to destroy everything at the thought of her mate dying and secondly she never thought in a million years she would one day lead the pack. She had barely been a wolf a week; it was too much too soon.

"Shh Blondie, he's not dying anytime soon. It's a what-if scenario." Ethan said pulling her into a hug. Erica leaned into the hug, drawing comfort from the contact. She found she enjoyed how affectionate everyone was with each other; it was odd her first few days here but now, she was used to it and even found herself initiating contact.

"Yeah, a what if scenario," Cora told her. "My grandfather was an alpha-mate like you. We might have some of the books he collected on the subject. The library, where we kept the books and family heirlooms, was one of the least damaged rooms by the fire."

Stiles tilted his head at this. "What about your mom? I thought she had a mate too?"

Cora looked at her feet. "She did. Hunters killed Dad while mom was pregnant with me. Mom moved all the mate related books to storage after he died, that's why I'm not sure if they are in the library or not. I know there were a few in the library because they were grandpa's. But who knows, Derek might have found the others."

The conversation halted after Cora spoke. Derek and Cora never mentioned their father, now she knew it was because they never really knew him. Cora motioned for Erica to follow her and they ended up in the 'Library' that doubled as Derek's study. They spent that afternoon looking for books about alpha-mates. After they found more books than expected, Erica spent the rest of the afternoon reading.

* * *

The pack typically only trained on Saturday mornings, but had been making an exception to help her get up to speed. She apparently was a quick learner so they could soon go back to Saturday-only training. She was surprised to learn that Allison, Lydia and Kira trained as well because they weren't wolves.

 _"We may not be wolves, but that doesn't mean we cannot be attacked.."_ Allison had said when she asked. " _I'm human, but was trained by my Hunter family. Lydia is a banshee, but so far that gives her no skills in combat so she had to learn from me. And Kira has her foxfire, but she is still having trouble calling it forth at will, so until she has her kitsune abilities in check she has to fight like a human. We all have to be able to defend ourselves against wolves and other supernatural creatures, so we train with you and by ourselves."_

It was Saturday now, and the whole pack was gathered in the field behind the garage. They had started the morning sparing and she was proud of herself as she was able to pin Boyd three out of the five times they sparred this morning. Derek even complimented her on how quickly she was learning.

After sparing all the wolves ran to the woods besides Derek and Erica.

"You can sit this one out, just observe and you can try next time." He told her.

She shrugged, confused as to what was going on and went to sit with Kira and Lydia who were perched on top of a picnic table.

"Where's Allison?" She asked sitting down.

"Oh, Katniss finishing up target practice on the other side of the garage." Lydia said. "Derek won't let her set up her targets back here when the pack is sparing because she gets jealous when someone pins one of her mates and that person becomes a target."

Erica's eyes widened.

"Oh, get off your high horse. We all get jealous." Kira said with a shy smile. "I accidentally used foxfire on Danny when he pinned Jackson the first time I observed sparing practice."

Just then Allison ran toward them. "Did it start yet?"

"Nope." Lydia responded. "They just went into the woods."

"Good. Move over."

"What is happening?" Erica asked.

"Stealth exercise." Allison explained. "They are all going to attempt to sneak up on Derek and pin him. No one ever pins him. Its just fun to watch them try."

Erica watched as Derek shifted and let out a roar, which roughly translated to  _GO._  And seconds later the wolves, one or two at a time tried to sneak up on the alpha and pin him. Derek deflected all of them with ease and sent the losers to sit at the picnic tables.

Malia was the first person to return that started laughing when she saw Erica.

"What?" Erica asked Erica noticed that the rest of the wolves had sat further away from her and upwind but she hadn't realized why until Malia spoke.

"Down girl. It's natural to lust after your mate when he's proving how powerful he his but it may distract him."

Erica blushed and his her face in her hands. Oh. They could smell her arousal. Damn. "I can't help it." She whispered.

Kira patted her on her back. "Sh, it's okay. It happens to all of us." She said.

Erica nodded, grateful for Kira. Yesterday Kira confided in her that while her and Jackson were mates, they weren't Mated like the rest of the pack. Meaning they hadn't yet had sex. The news helped relieve the pressure she felt to mate with Derek, because she had been feeling like it was expected of her to mate with him soon. Kira and Jackson, were not only a loving couple that shared an apartment, and slept in the same bed without having sex, they were also close friends . It was nice to know that she had the option to build a relationship with Derek without sex until she felt like she was ready.

By that point Derek had defeated everyone but Stiles, who was in the process of being thrown on the ground by Derek.

Derek looked unimpressed. "Did any of you want to try not being completely predictable?" he said addressing the group.

Erica saw Stiles grin and jump up and tackle Derek to the ground, planting a kiss on him. By the looks of it using tongue. "Un-predictable enough?" he said breaking the kiss and getting up.

Cora ran towards her mate and punched him in the face. "What! I told you last week that I was making it my mission to make out with all three Hale cousins." He said to Cora.

"You were joking."

"Nope." Stiles said. "You're next Malia" he said winking towards the she-wolf in question. "So far my hypothesis that being amazing kissers is a genetic trait is two for two."

Erica growled at the entire exchange. Her wolf had taken over and was angry.  _How dare pack mate kiss Mate!_  Her wolf demanded vengeance. She may not like the fact that she was Derek's mate, and was still getting used to the idea but that did not mean anyone could shove their tongue down his throat.

"Oh shit." Stiles said, finally looking over at Erica. "Why are her eyes red again?"

"I think you should run Stiles." Cora said. "I'm still pissed at you but she's going to give you a worse beating than I would. You don't kiss an alpha, in front of the alpha's mate. They tend to get violent."

Stiles ran into the woods and Erica ran after him but stopped when Derek called for her. "Erica. You don't want to harm your pack mate." He said having run after her and grabbing her by her shoulders.

She shifted back. "I wasn't going to harm him…much." She said.

Derek laughed. "Let's go get some lunch, and let Stiles run around terrified of you for a bit."

"Okay."

When they got back into the house, lunch preparation was already underway. Derek went to help cook because it was his turn and Erica went to help set the table.

Lydia grinned at her when she saw her. "And you were judging Allison for firing arrows at the wolves that pinned her mate. You're not even mated to Derek and you were going to chase Stiles down and beat him to a pulp."

Erica blushed. "I guess I misjudged…"

* * *

Monday rolled around quickly. And Erica made it clear she wanted to try school again. While living at  _Wolf's Run_  wasn't horrible, she was left alone for most of the day, and not only was she missing her high school lessons but she had not attended lectures for her introductory calculus class at Hale College since receiving the bite. Which would not have been good if her teaching assistant in the class had been anyone other than Lydia, who had been giving her the assignments and helping her understand the concepts she missed.

The pack had worked out a plan for her transportation, since she have her license. Someone from the pack would drop her off fifteen minutes before the first bell rang each morning. And after her last class finished someone else would be there to pick her up. She had one less class than everyone else because she was taking calculus at Hale College, so when the pack picked her up at the high school they would take her to the college for lecture. Lydia would then drive them both back to  _Wolf's Run_  after lecture and the evening routine remained the same as it was the week before.

All in all going back to school wasn't as bad as it was the Monday immediately after the bite. It was easier; she knew how to control the new power she had and was confident in herself. She would get angry at the nasty things that were said, but was able to control her shift and ignore the people talking about her. Their comments were hurtful, but did not make her want to shift and harm them. She would just take a deep breath and think about going home to her pack at the end of the day.

_'Holy hell. The freak is hot'._

_'Yeah she's still a freak though.'_

_'How did she become friends with College kids?'_

_'I bet she's fucking all the dudes. Some of the girls too. That's the only way anyone one would let her hang out with them.'_

_'You're probably right. The freak is a whore now."_

On Tuesday evening, she broke down and told the pack what the kids at school were saying about her and how ridiculous they were in their assumptions. That even though they weren't true the name-calling was getting to her. They were all angry at the abuse she took, and asked her if her friends were sticking up for her at least, and if they were she should invite them over for dinner one night. It was then that she realized that even though her pack was open with her about their lives, she really didn't tell them much about her own life before the bite.

"I had no friends before you guys. Because of my bullies no one really wanted to go through the trouble of being my friend, they made life really difficult for those that tried. Even Braeden, who didn't talk to me before I got the bite has gotten backlash when they found out she was the one bringing me my homework."

They all looked shocked at the revelation, and the hugs and cuddling increased after that.

* * *

On Wednesday when Ethan and Aiden dropped her off on their bikes and they heard the name calling for themselves. By lunchtime three of her biggest tormenters, who were sporting black-eyes, walked up to the table she sat at alone in the cafeteria and apologized to her, promising never to say a negative thing about her. Erica didn't know what the Twins did and didn't have the heart to ask, because she was grateful to know that her pack defended her even from insignificant teenaged boys.

After lunch she had history. Which was funny because Kira's dad was the teacher, and Kira decided to start texting her.

**Kira: So u r aware that ur parents have been hanging out w/ my parents, the McCall-Stilinski's, Malia's dad and Lydia's mom right?**

**Erica: Yes. Make this quick. I'm in ur dad's class, he's known for taking the phone away.**

**Kira: Oh, Hi Daddy! Well, u've been hiding something from us. Bad Puppy!**

**Erica: What? And stop calling me that.**

**Kira: ur birthday is Friday Puppy! How r we supposed to plan a party in 2 days! Don't worry! I have everyone working overtime.**

**Erica: I'm not big on birthdays. Pointless wen u have no friends. Mom and Dad usually just take me out 4 dinner and that's it.**

**Kira: Boo-hoo, u have friends now. So ur having a party. Don't like it? 2 bad. Party is happening. Pack and Pack family. Your mom is helping plan it. She's on board 100%, we're basically bffls now.**

**Erica:… I c I have no choice in this.**

**Kira: Nope : ) c u at home!**

As she read Kira's final text, her phone was taken from her hands.

"Ms. Reyes. What is more interesting than World War Two?" Mr. Yukimura he said reading her screen silently. "Oh, it seems that Ms. Reyes has befriended my daughter. I'm sorry Erica, no texting in class even if I happen to like who you are texting. You can pick this up after class."

Erica blushed as he placed the phone on his desk and the class snickered.

* * *

Friday rolled around quickly and it was time for her birthday. She was turning eighteen and was excited. This was her first birthday party since she was a small child. She spent the whole day unable to keep the smile off her face.

She didn't have class at Hale College on Fridays, so after her last period, she found her parents waiting in the parking lot. They took her to take her drivers test, since the only thing that stopped them from taking her before was her epilepsy and that was not an issue any longer. She passed with flying colors thanks to her wolf vision and reflexes. She would have her license soon and she was excited. After the drivers test and getting her picture taken for her license, they had a few hours before the party started. They went to their house, and talked and cuddled. Telling her the story of the day she was born to her. They told her how happy they were at her progress with her wolf, and they were impressed with how well she controlled it now.

At seven they arrived at  _Wolf's Run_. Lydia immediately pulled her up the stairs to her room and instated she change into the dress that was laying on the bed.

"That's not mine." Erica said admiring the red dress that had a top that was strapless and would be tight on the top but had a knee length skirt that flared out and would be perfect for twirling.

"Of course it is! Your present from Aiden and I!" Lydia said giving her a hug. "Happy birthday!"

Erica smiled as she exited and immediately put on the dress and the matching heels and refreshed her makeup. Looking in the mirror she saw a different person than she was a few weeks ago; someone who was strong, not lonely, happy and loved. She liked the changes.

Her party consisted of the pack, her parents, Braeden and her dad, Mr. Tate, The Yukimuras, Nurse McCall, Sheriff Stilinski, and Ms. Martin. Everyone ate dinner at the expanded dining room table, there were many types of food and a lot of conversation, and everyone was having a good time. After all the food had been eaten, the her pack brothers cleared the table the conversation continued. Then, after everything was cleaned up, Derek and the twins stared to bring in many boxes and bags of her gifts and Stiles and Scott carried in a large sheet cake with eighteen candles on it that said 'Happy Birthday Erica!' in yellow frosting.

They all sang happy birthday to her and she started to tear up. Her mom and dad, who sat on either side of her patted her on the back and were tearing up as well.

"Make a wish Puppy!" Stiles said as she stood up to blow out the candles. She didn't know what to wish for. Everything was so perfect. She had friends, she wasn't being teased at school any longer, and she was loved and happy. She didn't really need anything else. Just for her pack to stay safe and happy. That was all she wanted.

As her dad cut the cake and passed pieces around, everyone insisted she open her presents right away. So she did. The Deaton's and pack parents each got her a card and a gift card to stores at the mall, she was thankful as she wasn't really expecting anything from them or the pack. Ethan and Danny got her, her own motorcycle helmet for when she rode passenger with the twins or Scott, so she wouldn't have to barrow one from another pack member. Scott, Allison and Isaac got her framed photographs of her with various pack members, that she didn't know they had taken so she could put them in her room along with her family photos. Lydia and Aiden, not only got her the dress she was wearing but two other dresses and matching heels. Kira and Jackson bought her a trip to the day spa, so she could get a massage and her nails done, suggesting she go before or after the full moon to help her relax. Malia and Boyd got her a charm bracelet with her initials and a wolf figurine on it, promising that they, along with the rest of the pack would fill it with more charms on her next birthday. Stiles got her a stuffed teddy bear stating that the one on her bed must be lonely and Cora slapped him on the back of the head before handing Erica the "real present", which ended up being a few pairs of handmade crystal and sterling silver earrings for people with multiple piercings on each ear.

"Thank you all." Erica said astounded with all the gifts, cards and gift certificates she received. "I'm the luckiest eighteen year old ever."

"Silly, puppy!" Stiles said pointing to the small box in front of her, that's view was obstructed by her glass. "You have one more!"

"Oops." She giggled reaching for the box, and looking straight town to the person at the other head of the table. "Sorry Derek."

Derek smiled at her. "Not offended. It's small, but it is very significant to everyone in the pack."

She opened the small package to find a jewelry box, and then slowly opened it, a part of her afraid it was some kind of werewolf engagement ring. But inside was a sterling silver triskele necklace. She noticed over the past week that everyone in the pack had a version of the triskele; Derek had a tattoo, but everyone else had one on a keychain, as their belt buckle, a necklace, or a bracelet. When she noticed that they all had one, she asked what it meant. Apparently they can mean many things to many people but to the Hale pack it represented the three positions a wolf could rise and fall to: how an omega could become a beta or alpha, a beta could rise to alpha or fall to omega or how an alpha could fall to beta or even omega.

She smiled and took the necklace out of the box. "Mom could you put this on me?" She asked, and as her mom fastened it on her she looked down the table at Derek. "Thank you." They locked eyes for a moment and he smiled back at her.

After their moment was broken by her pack-brothers making gagging noises and complaining of the smell coming from both her and Derek, she giggled and looked to everyone. "Thank you all! I had the best birthday ever!"

After cake was done, everyone who did not live at  _Wolf's Run_  headed home, and Erica thanked them all for coming, and promised her parents she would visit this weekend.

After the last car pulled out of the driveway, Derek went into the study to lock the gate remotely, and Cora pulled her into the living room where the pack had gathered.

"What are we doing?" Erica said confused.

"Your party isn't over yet!" Allison said running to the stereo, plugging in a iPod and hitting play. "Since we can't take you to a college party we'd thought we'd make a college party here."

"The only difference here is that there are less people and you know the perverts grabbing your ass and can tell on them to their mates." Cora said as she dimmed the lights and Stiles brought in a strobe light and Lydia began to place colored fabric over the lamps that were on to dim the lighting and make it colorful.

"Where are the kegs?" Stiles asked, as he plugged the strobe light.

"Right here." Scott said who entered the room with Isaac and Boyd and they each carried a large keg.

"Good. We can get this party started." Stiles said with a grin.

Malia skipped in the living room with many plastic cups. "I think we're ready. Derek stop being such a pouty-wolf and come join us." She yelled towards the study.

"My dad won't arrest you for being a party to underage drinking." Stiles yelled towards the study. "Firstly because, none of us can really get drunk…because we're wolves and secondly because he looked around the house to ensure there were no kegs and we'd be keeping the party nice and PG-13 for Puppy."

"Then where did the kegs come from?" Erica asked. "And I'm eighteen you jerk not thirteen."

"She's so adorable when she pouts!" Danny exclaimed, picking her up and twirling her around. "McCall and Lahey hid them in their basement. The Sheriff only did a sweep of the Den."

"It's serve yourself Jackson. Stop signaling for me to bring you a beer. I'm your mate not your maid." Kira said, grabbing two beers from the keg and walking one over to Erica.

"You got her one." Jackson said walking toward the keg

"It's her birthday silly." Kira said running over to him, jumping on his back and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Everyone started getting his or her own drink and either dance or play fight with everyone else.

Erica laughed and decided to join in, it was her birthday party after all. She set down her beer after two experimental tastes, deciding she did not like it that much. After abandoning her beverage she grabbed Danny by the arm, pulling him close enough to be hugging and putting her arms around his neck. They began to dance to the pop music coming through the speakers. Ethan soon came up behind her and they danced together.

Everyone else began to dance (not necessarily with their mates), drink the beer from the keg and laugh. Everyone except Cora and Stiles, they had devious looks on their faces and were standing by the door.

"Derek…" Stiles singsong-ed. "If you don't get in here quick I think we might have another triad mate-bond on our hands. Ethan and Danny are gay, but shit happens, and they look super hot with Erica sandwiched in between….Oh Derek! So pleased you could join us!" He finished grabbing Cora by the hand and pulling her close to dance.

"Success!" Cora laughed.

Derek had stormed in and with a glare; Danny and Ethan let go of her and began dancing with each other. Erica glared at him. "I was trying to have fun!"

Derek rolled his eyes as pulled her close. "If 'dancing' to this horrible music is what you call fun, then I will have fun with you. It's your birthday."

Erica laughed. "You are such a Sour-Wolf!"

Her party lasted into the wee hours of the morning. They all danced, they drank, they ate left over cake, and laughed. When everyone decided to call it a night is was nearly four am. Erica, having found her taste for alcohol after finishing her third beer, was unable to get up the stairs on her own, so Derek carried her to her room.

"I thought wolves couldn't get drunk." She mumbled as he tucked her in.

"I think one of the boys may have spiked the keg. It may have been Scott. Deaton said he was asking a lot about herbs that could get wolves drunk."

"Jerks…Kick butts… when I see them." She sputtered, closing her eyes. "Very sleepy."

She heard Derek laugh and then felt him kiss her forehead. She grabbed him before he could pull himself up and open her eyes, pulling herself up into a seated position, and giving him a closed mouth kiss on his lips.

"Night Derek." She smiled; plopping herself back onto the bed. He helped her get comfortable and went towards the bedroom door.

"Goodnight Erica."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres some info on the pack and their ages in this AU. (In parenthesis for the wolves I added if they were Born or Bitten)
> 
> Aged 26-28: Derek Hale (Alpha/Born Wolf)
> 
> Aged 21: Scott McCall (Beta/Bitten Wolf), ? "Stiles" Stlinski (Beta/ Bitten Wolf), Allison "McCall-Lahey" Argent (Human/Hunter), Lydia Martin (Banshee), Vernon Boyd (Beta/Bitten Wolf), Jackson Whittemore (Beta/ Bitten Wolf)
> 
> Aged 20: Cora Hale (Beta/Born Wolf), Isaac Lahey (Beta/Bitten Wolf), Aiden Jones (Beta/Born Wolf), Ethan Jones (Beta/Born Wolf), Danny Mahealani (Beta/ Bitten Wolf)
> 
> Aged 19: Malia "Hale" Tate (Beta/Born Wolf), Kira Yukimura (Kitsune)
> 
> Aged 17(turning 18): Erica Reyes (Beta/Bitten Wolf)
> 
> Peter Hale is technically part of the Hale pack, but lives as an omega, no one knows where he is at this point of the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People begin to get dead starting now…you know how I said that this story was going to be dark…well from here on that's starts. The bad guys are coming!
> 
> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

The Wednesday after her birthday was her first full moon. She felt on edge and ready to shift at any second during the day, there was no particular reason, just that every noise got on her nerves. This prompted her to text her pack-siblings to see if anyone wanted to go to the spa with her. She had a certificate from Jackson and Kira for her birthday and she felt like she needed it.

Malia ended up coming to get her from school and accompanying her to the spa. They spent the afternoon getting massages and mani/pedis and the pampering relaxed Erica for a few hours. Enough to get her back to  _Wolf's Run_  without feeling the need to attack anyone.

They had warned her that the first full moon would be the hardest. They usually all locked themselves in the property at that time and kept away from people that were not pack. But for her first full moon, and every full moon until she got used to the moons effects on her they would have to chain her up in the basement, so she did not harm anyone.

She found out that the brick walls that surrounded Wolf's Run had mountain ash in them, so all that they needed to do was have Allison or Lydia (or someone human) break a bottle of mountain ash in front of the front and back gates to make the estate secure. No supernatural could get in and no one could get out.

Since Beacon Hills was a supernatural hotspot, having a newly awakened nematon just outside of town; Derek made sure they were always prepared for anything to happen and that they would all come out of whatever were to happen alive. The whole estate was built with the safety of the pack in mind; there were escape routes in case of another fire, an underground bunker, security cameras positioned along the outer walls and at the gates, both gates needed facial recognition (or Derek's approval) and either a key or access code for them to open, and the kitchen and basement pantry were always fully stocked in case they needed to go on lockdown.

They used all these precautions on the full moon and locked down  _Wolf's Run_ ; nobody was allowed in after sundown and nobody was allowed out until sunrise. Because despite the other wolves having had experience of the full moon and not being as affected by it any longer, the Hale pack preferred to play it safe. Erica was reassured by these precautions. Even if she did manage to escape the chains they would put her in, she wouldn't be able to harm anyone because she would not be able to leave the estate. So her pack would catch her and would be there to help her through the difficulties she was warned that the first full moon brought.

She was even more glad that instead of spending the moon with the pack like they typically did, Allison, Lydia and Kira had mountain-ashed themselves into Allison, Scott and Isaac's house for the evening, unsure if her wolf would recognize them as pack when the moon rose.

As soon as the moon rose Erica shifted, and the chains that held her to the basement wall broke like they were made of paper. She didn't recognize any of her pack brothers and sisters as pack; she was out for blood. She spent a significant amount of time trying to get through the ash barrier that kept her from Lydia, Allison and Kira because at the time she didn't see them as pack-siblings either; she saw them as blood to be spilt. The pack spent hours fighting her; both trying to exhaust her and keep her away from the non-wolf members of her pack. She did not understand why the wolves were not attacking the non-wolves; they could bond as a pack over the kill. Then a thought over took her when she was fighting her pack off.

She sort of loved these people. They were her second family, her pack, wolves and non-wolves. They weren't the enemy, they weren't blood to be spilt; they were friends, people that loved her.

At that Erica stopped fighting them and ran off into the woods. Afraid that they didn't love her anymore because of the way she lost control. She had hurt them in the fight physically and was ashamed. Oh, lord. She had even attacked her alpha! Surly he hated her now.

She ended up sitting at the base of a tree and crying. The tears came out as whimpers and soft howl in her wolf form.

After a few minutes, she sensed she wasn't alone, and turned around to see Derek approaching her. He was shifted, eyes glowing red, ready to defend himself if she attacked.

She did attack, so to speak. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him in burrowing her head in his chest, letting her tears drench his t-shirt.

"You did good, you stopped yourself. Most bitten wolves can't stop themselves their first moon. We were expecting having to fight you all night. No one is permanently hurt. Just cuts and scrapes." He told her, and them let a growl out, putting an alpha command behind it.

_Shift back._

Her wolf obeyed the order and they were soon both completely human looking again. "They hate me don't they? I wanted to hurt Lyd, Alli and Kira! I didn't even recognize the rest of you as my pack! I'd hate me if I were them. How could I forget you all Derek? My wolf didn't even recognize you as my mate!"

He broke the hug and started to use his hands to dry her tears. "The first full moon makes you a bit crazy. It'll get better. I promise." He told her. Once he was done drying her eyes he pulled her back into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until she spoke again. "Der, I might be okay with you kissing me on the lips once an awhile."

He laughed at this. "Good to know, but lets revisit this conversation when the full moon is not affecting your thought processes. It makes you violent initially and then it makes you horny."

Erica giggled, and nodded in response. They then made their way back to the Den, holding hands,and the rest of the evening was spent in relative peace.

* * *

A few nights after the full moon Erica was in her room working on her calculus homework. It was the wee hours of the morning and she should really be sleeping but her anxiety was high. This was the first night since she had started living at  _Wolf's Run_  that the whole pack wasn't sleeping at the estate. Her wolf-self, while much calmer than it had been when she had first transformed did not like when the pack was separated this long. Cora had explained that it was the she-wolf in her beginning to realize her place as alpha female in the pack and acting accordingly, and Derek usually got extremely irritable when more than three of the pack stayed the night away from  _Wolf's Run_.

Erica did not blame him for being irritable; her skin had been crawling since they left yesterday afternoon. She was surprised that Derek hadn't alpha-ordered them all back. From the books she read about alpha's mates in the past few weeks she knew that once she got better at being a wolf she would rise to alpha-female (she would still be a beta, just have some alpha abilities) and she could alpha-order the pack. She was happy she did not have the ability now because the way she was feeling she would order them never to leave. And that would be cruel.

Scott and Stiles went to visit their parents for the weekend; Malia went to spend some more time with her dad; Allison's parents were in town for a few days so she was staying at a hotel with them; Kira and Jackson were at the Yukimura's home a place that was not typically welcoming to Jackson but they had decided to get to know him since their daughter was his mate; and Lydia went to spend time at her mom's house, and where Lydia went Aiden was not far behind. The rest of the pack stayed at  _Wolf's Run_ : Boyd, Isaac and Cora decided to have a Call of Duty weekend since their mates had gone and were camping out at Isaac, Scott and Allison's house, and Ethan and Danny joined them during the day but spent their nights at their house probably taking advantage that Aiden and Lydia were gone. If she focused her hearing, she could hear them all snoring in the houses behind the Den.

Derek it seemed was having as much trouble calming down enough to sleep as she was. She could hear him downstairs in the study, flipping through the pages of a book. After a half hour he sighed loudly and began turning off lights and walking up the stairs. She heard him hesitate at the landing, probably seeing her light still on.

"Can't sleep either?" She said as invitation.

He walked towards the room and opened the door. "Not a wink." He said, looking as irritated and restless as she felt. "May I come in?"

She nodded, having given up on her homework anyway, and closed her book and notes placing them on the bedside table.

"I don't like them being away." She told him as he sat next to her on the bed, she shifted in her spot. Her wolf wanted to be closer to him, she needed the comfort of a pack-mate during her anxiety but human her just started looking at Derek as a friend with the potential and didn't want him to get the idea that she was ready to …mate with him.

He sighed and, almost as if he sensed her indecision, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her close with one arm and using the other to stroke her hair, Erica put her arms around him in response. "We have to get used to it. Most of them will decide to move away from the pack-home in a few years, start working real jobs and maybe have kids. They'll still be pack and they will still come here, but…" He paused, tensing up as if the thought of the pack permanently moving away made him as sick as the thought made Erica. "… It won't always be like this. It will get easier for us all to deal with the more time they spend away."

She growled at that. No, that would not do. She did not like that idea at all. "They have to stay here Derek. Make them stay here. We can build more houses so they all can have their own space and everything. If they have kids we can all help raise them."

He chuckled at her plea, and kissed the top of her head. "I've already thought of it. And nobody has made the decision to move away yet, but it's a possibility that we will have to deal with. Especially since quite a few of them want to go to graduate school."

Erica's heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest and she whined. "But there is no grad-schools near Beacon Hills…they would have to go far away…" She couldn't handle her pack being across town, she doubted that she would handle them leaving town altogether well at all.

"I know. That's why we need to get used to having them gone." He said.

They sat there holding and comforting each other in silence for an hour. She could hear Derek, begin to snore and smiled to herself. The big bad alpha had fallen asleep.

She had just closed her eyes and was about to drift off when a howl sounded in the distance. Jolting both her and Derek right out if the bed as if they were struck by lightning.

Her wolf analyzed the message:  _Malia. Far away. In danger._ Then the howling stopped suddenly, and seconds later a loud scream sounded from the opposite side of town that Malia howled from.  _Banshee. Lydia. Death._

She looked at Derek, and saw how terrified the banshee-wail coming so soon after Malia's howl had made him. There had been no follow up howl from Malia after Lydia's scream, meaning that she was either fighting for her life, or already dead.

The both ran down the back stairs and out the back door. Derek shifted and let out and alpha-roar signaling the pack to find Malia. Isaac, Cora, Danny and Ethan were waiting outside for them. Derek ran off into the woods, headed toward the back entrance that exited into more woods. They would be able to make it to the Tate property quicker in wolf form via the woods. They all followed him, Isaac, Danny and Ethan behind Derek and Erica and Cora in the back.

"Where's Boyd?" Erica asked.

"He took off just before Malia howled, said he felt Maila's fear." Cora responded.

They were almost at the Tate house when another howl sounded.  _Boyd. Grief. Packmate. Death._

"No!" Derek yelled. They all ran faster at Boyd's howl.

They arrived at the Tate' property and the stench of blood filled the air. The door was pulled off its hinges and claw marks covered the walls in the entry way. Mr. Tate was lying in pool of his blood, looking like he had been attacked by several wolves at once. He was dead. Her first dead person. She wanted to throw up, but her worry for Malia prevented her from doing so.

Cora took a deep inhale of the scene. "It's mostly his blood. I smell no wolf-blood."

"Isaac, Danny, Ethan sweep the surrounding area for the wolves that did this, have the other's help you when they arrive. Keep Lyd, Allison and Kira out of the woods, someone should call the Sheriff." Derek ordered. The boys nodded and left the house, Erica could hear the other wolves arriving and cars pulling up the driveway but focused on following Derek and Cora down out the back.

Boyd was holding an unmoving Malia and in tears. She was bruised and bleeding and barely breathing but Erica heart her faint hearbeat and knew she was alive. Derek kneeled down next to Boyd and examined his cousin closely.

"She'll live." He said, with a relived sigh. "She was knocked out, she will need time to heal from the fight. Allison just pulled up in her car. Have her drive you and Malia home. She can help you with cleaning the wounds. You can't run through the woods with her like this." He told Boyd, who nodded, let out his own sigh of relief and picked up his mate.

Just then Lydia ran through the house into the yard. "Is she alive?"

"Yes. I need you and Kira to go get everyone's things from where they were staying this weekend. I want all recent scent markers gone. I don't want these wolves to trace you to your families' homes. Split up, and move quickly. Take Jackson and Aiden with you. Return to  _Wolf's Run_  as soon as possible."

Lydia nodded, and walked around the house, Aiden and Jackson exited the woods and followed her to the front of the house. The rest of the pack exited the woods seconds after they left the yard.

"They left no scent behind Derek." Ethan said. "We both know what that means."

"Born wolves with bad intentions" Cora said. "We learn from birth that we can mask our scent with certain chemicals, and bitten wolves can't. It's discouraged to mask your scent because you only do so when you are in danger or intend on doing harm." She clarified to the questioning looks she got.

"That helps explain this." Isaac said, handing Derek a note. "That's all they left behind, it was nailed to a tree."

Derek read the note and roared.  _Alpha. Threatened. Angry._  "Stiles, Isaac, and Danny get Cora and Erica home now, don't let them or Malia out of your sight. Cora, run point from  _Wolf's Run_ : when the others arrive let them know that we no one leaves until I say so. Ethan and Scott are coming with me to see the Emissary."

"What did it say?" Erica yelled in a panic as Danny took her by the arm and dragged her toward the direction they would have to go to get to  _Wolf's Run_.

Cora was not having it; both Stiles and Isaac were trying to pull her along and were only having a little success. Cora was the strongest beta in the pack; no one could make her leave unless she wanted to leave.

"Cora. Go with them." Derek growled.

"What the fuck did it say Der!" She yelled. "I'm your second in command brother. I need to know what the fuck is happening."

"You don't want to know, babe." Stiles said, he sounded like he was begging. "Please just come with us."

"I'll decide that for myself." She growled, glaring between her mate and her brother.

Derek, sensing the losing battle, threw the paper at her and she read it. "Erica, we have to get home. Now." She said throwing the paper down and running towards Erica. "Run." She said grabbing her hand.

Erica did as she was told. She knew it was serious if it changed Cora's mind so quickly. She looked back and saw that Stiles, Isaac and Danny followed close behind.

They entered the back gate after a minute of running. Erica sat down against a tree to catch her breath.

"Lock it and camouflage it. Derek and the others will use the front gate; it's easier to control. Isaac, I'll need you to run out here with Allison later so she can ash it." Cora said to the boys, and kneeled down next to Erica. They watched as the boys moved leaves and bricks around the triple locked gate.

"Cora, what did that note say?"

Cora closed her eyes and held her temples, as if the knowledge of the note was making her head explode. "Its said:  _Hale this is a warning. We're coming for your she-wolves. All of them._ "

"That's why they left Malia alive. They want the three of us…Why didn't they just take her and not leave a note."

"Because in the old…less civilized days when a pack had no females and the alpha refused to turn humans due to blood purity they would declare war on a pack with females. They would have to kill the entire pack and their allies to have 'earned the right' to mate with the females." Cora explained with a sneer. "It hasn't been practiced in centuries, it was always more practical to mate with or bite humans. And most wolves have come to see females as more than a way to breed more wolves. But some in-bred wolf-lines still think that humans are only for killing, and females are only for breeding." Cora then started laughing hysterically. "This is horrible. My mother and grandmother were respected alphas, females in my family have been our strongest warriors and leaders for generations, and now some rednecks want me to be nothing but a puppy factory."

Erica had a different reaction; she began to shake in fear. "They would kill our whole pack… and then…breed us?"

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Isaac said, picking her up off the ground and carrying her to the house while Stiles helped Cora up (and followed after them) and Danny ran ahead. "I don't know about you, but I will fight tooth and nail to keep our family the way it is now. Together, alive and safe. So, dry those tears _Puppy_."

"I'm not crying big brother. I'm just scared." Erica said in response. "and I'm angry Malia's dad is dead, I'm angry these jerks are here, I'm angry that they are going to try to kill our loved one before killing us." Erica put her arms around his neck and cuddled into his chest, looking up at him. "I can walk Isaac."

"I know." He said with a small grin. After looking into her eyes she "Looks like our baby alpha-female is going to be out for these jerks' blood." He said, directing the comment back towards Stiles and Cora, before looking back at her. "We got your back Lil' Miss Red Eyes."

"Everyone will be out for blood once we find out who they are." Cora said, finally having stopped her hysterical laughter. "They must be really stupid if they think they can take on the Hale pack and survive. We're young, but we're strong."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my writing tumblr (hailhaleswriting) Or visit allhailhales DOT webs DOT com / teen-wolf for bonus info and updates


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

When they got back to the Den, Erica could hear Malia's cries. She was relived that her friend lived but her heart grieved with her. She jumped from Isaac's arms and looked to Cora.

Cora had a pained look on her face, like she wanted to go to comfort her cousin but she had to make sure the pack was safe before she could.

"You need Boyd and Allison's help to secure  _Wolf's Run_. I'll stay with Malia." Erica said, walking towards the house.

"Thank you" Cora said "Isaac, when Allison is done looking over Malia's wounds take her on an ATV to the back gate and have her ash it. Danny, I need you and Boyd to run the property to make sure no one got in while we were gone. Sweep the Den and houses first and fan out. Jackson and Aiden will join you when they get back. Stiles you stick with me. Everyone stay with your partners, no one is left alone until this place is secure."

They Boys nodded, Erica and Isaac made their way upstairs. They met Boyd outside his and Malia's room, looking on edge.

"Hey big guy." Erica said, hugging him. "Is she okay?"

"Physically she'll be fine. Who did this?" He asked.

Erica didn't want to tell him within earshot of Malia, she had enough to deal with right now. "Danny will fill you in. Cora wants the two of you to start sweeping the property. Make sure none of the bad guys got in." Isaac said. "I have to take Allison to secure the back gate."

Boyd nodded. "Someone needs to stay with her." He said looking at the door.

"That's why I'm here."

"Thanks Erica." Boyd said descending the stairs.

Erica and Isaac then entered the bedroom that Boyd and Malia shared. It was right across the hall from her room, so Erica had seen it before. She just never thought that the first time she went in the space she'd find Allison rushing to clean the quickly healing wounds on Malia's body and Malia sobbing.

Isaac spoke first. "Al, we need to secure the gate. Let Puppy take over."

Allison halted her task and handed the bottle of peroxide and the towel to Erica. "Werewolf healing does most of the work for you. Just wipe the wounds clean, and get the dirt out so when they heal they don't get infected."

They soon left the room and it was just her and her sobbing friend. She got to work cleaning the large claw marks on the lower half of Malia, as Allison had gotten most of the upper body. It didn't take long to clean and for the cuts to heal, as the wolf healing did most of the work.

After she was done she went to the bathroom and got a clean cloth damp cloth, using it to clean Malia's face of the dirt and tears. After that was done she searched trough the closet for Malia's clothes, figuring her friend didn't want to be covered in the dried blood of herself and her father.

"Malia, you want me to help you in the bath or shower? You need to get the…blood off you."

"I can do it. I won't be long." She said through her tears.

While Malia showered, Erica, having found the spare bed sheets when looking for Malia's clothes changed the entire bed set. It all rank of blood and she knew her friend did not need the smell as a reminder. She threw the soiled sheets into the hallway, resolving to take them to the laundry room later.

While she waited, she heard the sounds of Danny and Boyd saying the Den and the houses were secure and telling Cora they were going to start sweeping the property from the west and work their way east. She imagined Malia heard the conversation as well. How Stiles was glued to Cora's side, how Cora was calling Aiden and Jackson, telling them to hurry up and get back and, how Allison had sounded panicked when she and Isaac returned from the back-gate.

"What's happening? Do they know who did this?" Malia said, having noticed the mayhem the pack was going through preparing for lockdown. Stiles and Cora, were now in the hidden room off the study that served as the control room; as soon as the last person entered the front gate they would hit a series of buttons that would lock and electrify the gates, but as of right now they were observing tapes of the last hour seeing if anyone had been at the estate while the pack was away. Isaac and Allison were taking inventory of the armory and making sure that the food pantries were well stocked. If they were staying on lockdown, they needed to make sure they had supplies.

Erica sighed, and motioned for Malia to sit on the bed with her. "Apparently, this pack has declared war on ours. Their aim is to kill all our pack-mates and pack allies until you, Cora and I are all that's left. That's what they want, she-wolves to breed."

"I read about these old rites when I was younger. When I was ten, an Emissary moved in next door. She told me told me what I was, how I had to hide the fact that I could shift into an actual wolf, and gave me wolf history lessons. I thought that those practices were extinct."

"They are but some, as Cora says 'in-bred rednecks' still do when they have no more females in their packs."

Malia made her way under the covers and patted the bed next to her. "Can you lay with me for a bit? I can't cry anymore, not if we have to have a pack meeting about this other pack. And if I'm alone I'll start thinking about my Daddy and…"

Erica crawled in next to her pack-mate and hugged her; Malia in turn wrapped her arms around Erica. After burying her head in Erica's neck, she began to silently sob until her body, drained emotionally and physically gave out and she went to sleep. Erica kept hugging Malia after she slept, knowing the only thing she could do to help her was to provide comfort and watch over her.

Erica stayed awake for the next hour, holding Malia and listening to the pack secure the compound. Normally she wouldn't be able to hear as much as she did, but she was on high alert, after the events of today and worried, making her hypersensitive to noises. She heard Cora and Stiles say 'Fuck' a few times, meaning they saw something on the tapes, which concerned her. She heard Kira and Jackson followed by Lydia and Aiden arrive back. Cora had already given Jackson and Aiden their orders so they went right from the cars into the woods, to help Danny and Boyd. Kira and Lydia stayed near the gate ready to mountain ash-it as soon as Derek, Scott and Ethan arrived back, which they did; moments after Lydia, Kira, Jackson and Aiden came back.

 _"Good. You're here."_  Derek said.  _"Ash it and go see what else needs to be done. Scott, Ethan, help whoever is securing the woods finish. Cora…if you can hear me lock and electrify the gates. No one in, and no one out. Pack meeting in ten minutes."_

_"We examined the tapes, there were three intruders while we were gone." Stiles said. "Two of them left quickly, the other one we can't find leaving the property…Derek you are not going to like who one of them was."_

_"Peter…I can smell him."_ Derek growled, letting out a roar to send a message to the boys sweeping the woods for intruders.  _Intruder still here._

Erica's heart stopped, and she stopped listening to everyone around her and focused on the friend in her arms. Had Peter Hale betrayed the Hale pack and joined another, one that intended to destroy all the Hales? He was evil, but was he so evil to help exterminate his nephew's pack and turn his daughter and niece over to wolves that wanted to use them as Cora put it 'puppy factories'? She hoped for Malia's sanity that Peter's arrival was a horrible coincidence. It would destroy her if her biological father were responsible for a war on her pack and the death of the man that raised her.

There was a knock at the door and Derek entered, he looked exhausted and angry. His face softened when he saw Malia was curled up in Erica's arms.

"When did you stop listening?" He asked her.

"After you said you smelt you-know-who." Erica responded. "It's going to crush her if he's responsible for this Derek."

"Boyd and Danny just caught him, we're going to interrogate him and get to the bottom of his arrival." Derek approached the bed and sat next to Malia taking her hand in his and drawing away some of her pain. After he did that he kissed her hand and got off the bed. "Can you stay up here with her and just listen in? She doesn't need go through his snarky replies right now. If he's involved she can take a crack at him, but we don't know if he is."

Erica nodded. "Of course."

Derek began to leave when Lydia stepped in front of him. "Something feels wrong. I feel like we're missing something. Like its on the tip of my tongue."

"We're safe for now Lyd. You have time to figure it out."

Lydia sighed, bending down to pick up the soiled sheets outside the door. "Help me with these Derek. Just because were going to war with for our survival again doesn't mean the Den can be a mess."

Derek obliged the anxiety ridden Banshee and closed the door behind him. Erica listened as they made their way to the basement and then back up the stairs to the living door.

 _"Dear lord, At least put plastic under him before you make him bleed. You know how Derek feels about blood on the rugs."_  Lydia said when they entered the living room.

 _"If he did what we suspect him of doing, I'll paint the walls in his blood."_  Derek growled.  _"Why did you come back Peter? And why were you hiding in the family mausoleum? Scott he can't speak when you're choking him."_

 _"He made a comment about it being a shame dad married Mellissa because she's 'too attractive for that human'. He deserves it."_  Stiles said. " _Personally, I think we shouldn't listen to his lies and just re-kill him."_

Erica heard a coughing noise before the person took a deep breath _. "Derek, you certainly have been busy while I was away! Look how this pack has grown!"_ Peter said.  _"Added these grumpy twins, a kitsune and if my nose is correct two new she wolves since I left. I'm proud nephew. A large young, powerful pack."_

 _"He asked you some questions Peter."_  Cora growled.

 _"I came back because this is my family and pack, I do still live here. I haven't been here in six months but this is still home. I was in the mausoleum paying my respects to my dead family members and making a formal apology to Laura for what I did to her."_ Peter said.

" _Why now?"_  Cora said.  _"Why come back now? Why apologize to Laura tonight?"_

_"I spent the past few months trying to find a way to bring her back like Lydia was able to bring me back. But it seems Laura never gave the bite to anyone so it's impossible. That's why I came back now. I can't right my wrong. I lost my sanity in the fire. And in my need to get revenge I killed my sister's child and I can never forgive myself for that."_

_"Derek, you are so not believing this bullshit are you."_  Jackson said.

 _"He's not lying."_  Derek said _. "But he's not telling the whole story of where he's been."_

 _"Did you tell anyone about our pack on your travels?"_  Cora asked.  _"Specifically about having she-wolves and or the fact Hale women can shift into wolves."_

 _"I told some of my old friends how my nephew was an alpha now."_  Peter stated _. "But the only she wolf in the pack I knew of is you. And as far as the world is concerned, Talia was the last Hale that could become an actual wolf. That's how she wanted it. I did not tell anyone. What is this all about?"_

 _"We're still asking questions asshole."_  Stiles said.

 _"Cora, as your uncle I have to object once again in your choice of mate."_  Peter snarked.  _"I find him annoying."_

Derek, ignoring the words exchanged between Stiles and Peter continued.  _"Uncle, I just find it hard to believe that you show up the very night a rival pack shows up, kills Malia's dad, and declares war on us because they want to breed our she wolves and that you had nothing to do with it."_

 _"What? Breed? What century are they living in?"_  Peter said.  _"I had nothing to do with that. But I will help you fight them. Cora is the last Hale female. Our foremothers would turn in their graves if she were taken."_

 _"Not to mention, to 'earn the right' to have Erica, Malia and I, they'd kill you too."_  Cora said, and Erica could hear her eye roll.

 _"Well there is that too."_  Peter responded.  _"Wait, why would I want anything do with killing this Malia's dad? What would I gain from his death? Is she your mate?"_

Erica growled at this in disapproval.  _"That's Erica, you just heard growl. She's not crazy about being Derek's mate. But gets jealous very easily."_  Stiles said.

_"Malia is my cousin. Not my mate. I'd let you meet her, but she's sleeping. She just had to fight off four to six male wolves alone, and before we could get to her dad's house, he was dead and she was…not far away from death."_

_"While I'm impressed that she held her own so well and all. I must point out the fact you are missing dear nephew."_  Peter said, his tone condescending.  _"Derek, your father had no siblings, and Talia and I had no other siblings either. This Malia is obviously an imposter."_

 _"What an idiot."_  Danny whispered.  _"I knew he was evil, I just didn't know he was stupid."_

 _"Malia's dad…the one who died tonight. He wasn't her biological father. She's a Hale Peter. She's your kid."_  Derek said.  _"We had a DNA test done when we met her, but you really don't need one. You can smell her from here."_

Erica heard the pause and the intake of breath. " _Upstairs bedroom. Two she-wolves. One born. One bitten. Born wolf smells like…She's a Hale. She's my daughter."_ All teasing and lightheartedness in Peter's voice as gone. " _A pack has declared war on this pack and wants my daughter as a prize. I'll gut them all myself."_

Erica looked down at Malia, whose eyes were wide open and tears were streaming down her face. "How long have you been up?"

"Since Derek was up here, and asked you to stay up here, in case Peter was guilty of killing my dad." Malia said whipping her eyes. "I liked the cuddles, and really didn't want to watch him try to out snark the pack. So I faked being asleep. I guess deceit is a genetic trait." She said attempting a smile.

Erica rolled her eyes and got of the bed, helping Malia up.

_"Untie me now Derek. I want to meet her."_

"We're coming downstairs Derek." Erica said.

 _"No. she needs her rest."_ Derek said in response to Erica and Peter.

"I'm fine Derek. I need to tell you about my attackers anyway." Malia said, leading the way.

Erica sped up so she was at her friend's side and grabbed her hand. "I'm right here for you. We all are."

"I know. I need Boyd. I need to meet Peter officially and then I need to shelf my grief until we are safe again."

As they entered the living room Erica heard. " _Boyd? My daughter has a mate and it's you? The big quiet one?"_

Malia stared down the man in the chair, and Boyd stood up and walked to his mate's side, grabbing her hand. "Yeah, he's my mate. Hi, I'm Malia Tate. I'm nineteen years old and I'm your kid."

Peter looked like a fish out of water and looked like he wanted to say something but before he could form the words Lydia sprung up from her seat and let out a Banshee scream.

The room was silent, as everyone tensed. Lydia stooped her wail and looked around at everyone, tears in her eyes. Erica's wolf translated the wail, like it did for the howls of her packmates, she did not like the meaning.

_More death is coming. Pack unsafe._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

The room was silent, as everyone tensed. Lydia stopped her wail and looked around at everyone, tears in her eyes. Erica's wolf translated the wail, like it did for the howls of her packmates, she did not like the meaning.

_More death is coming. Pack unsafe._

Everyone sprung up from their seats waiting for orders from Cora and Derek.

"Who?" Derek asked Lydia.

"I don't know." Lydia said. "I think we have some time, It didn't feel like it did earlier, it didn't feel like it was in progress. But it's someone close to the pack, not someone in this room."

"Shit." Derek yelled, clenching his fists. "Lydia, I know now what we were forgetting earlier."

"You don't have your pack allies here?" Peter asked sounding confused. "If they are doing what you said they are and exterminating the whole pack except she-wolves, they will kill the non-wolf allies first. You should have them here."

Derek, eyes flashing red, gave Peter a look that communicated the fact that he realized that now before beginning to give orders. "Erica, Stiles, Scott, Lydia, Kira call your parents and encourage them to join us here. We cannot force them, if they refuse to come, Deaton has already given them mountain ash for their homes. Deaton refused to come earlier. But I'm going to give him a call regardless." He said, leaving the room.

While everyone left the room to place their calls, Cora showed Malia the pictures of the other intruders. Erica listened in on the way up to her room. " _I don't recognize them. There were eight wolves at my house tonight, and those two weren't there. But they have the same tattoo on their neck that my attackers did. Same pack."_

So the pack that had declared war on them had at least ten male wolves. Part of Erica had hoped that this pack would have seen how large the Hale Pack was and run away, but it seemed that the rival pack had just as many males (if she counted Peter) as they did. The Hale's had more members (10 male-wolves, 3 she-wolves, a Banshee, a Kitsune and a Hunter) but as Cora had told her these wolves did not value females as anything more than 'puppy factories' so from where they stood they were evenly matched and would not leave. This realization only made her plead more desperately with her parents when they picked up the phone to come to  _Wolf's Run_  on lockdown.

* * *

" _Erica, we have lives. We can't. The gossip around town is already horrible about us having our daughter join a cult. Whatever it is we'll be fine. The vet used ash-wood to make our house secure."_  Her mother had said. The woman would not budge and neither would her father.

_"I refuse to come live with a bunch of supernatural freaks just because the Hale boy pissed of another bunch of supernatural freaks."_

"Daddy, I'm a supernatural freak." Erica said, letting the hurt show in her tone. She loved her parents but ever since she left home the name-calling of her mate and pack had gotten worse, they were cordial at her birthday party but that was the only time they let up. " These people are threatening my pack and anyone associated with my pack. Please."

 _"Oh sweetie, you know he doesn't mean you. We love you, and are upset you are in danger, but we'll be fine."_ Her mom said, before hanging up the phone.

Erica held back her tears. Her parents did not understand the severity of the situation, even when she had told them how Mr. Tate had been killed by this pack already. They just pointed out that if they came to live with her pack they would put a target on themselves. She loved them, but could not protect them if they refused to be protected.

She made her way downstairs and found that everyone except herself and Kira had success in getting their parents to come to  _Wolf's Run_. The Sheriff and Mellissa refused to not work (which was a condition of lockdown: not leaving the premises), but agreed that staying at Wolf's Run would be the safest, so Derek waived the no-leaving clause for them only. Lydia's mom needed no prompting, and was already on her way. She lived alone in the house Lydia grew up in and had no means to protect herself. The Yukimuras insisted they could protect themselves; Kira's mother was a powerful kitsune and refused to live with wolves. Apparently kitsune and wolves don't typically get along, but since Kira and Jackson were mates she had no trouble getting along with his pack, however her mother still had difficulty. Kira was upset but understood that living with wolves was against her mother's nature.

Derek had been unable to get in touch with either of the Deaton's. Which worried him but he did not want to split up the pack to go looking for them just yet, they were safer as a pack. He said that Dr. Deaton indicated that he would be taking his daughter and sister to a safehouse when Derek, Scott and Ethan left his place; so Derek decided to wait a few hours before heading a search party for them. He didn't want to break the ash-barrier around the property unless he had too, as breaking the barrier would leave the pack vulnerable.

"If he doesn't get in contact by the time the Sheriff and Mellissa get here tonight, I will lead a search-party myself." Derek said. "Let's hope that he gets in contact soon."

"Allison, what about your parents?" Erica asked, noting that she was the only one who had not placed a call that had family in the area.

Allison stiffened, and Scott and Isaac looked to her sympathetically. "They love me, but they disowned me a while back. It is to embarrassing for them as Hunters to have a daughter the mate of two wolves. They came this weekend to demand I officially change my name and say goodbye for good. They did not know that I have been using the name McCall-Lahey* since I became pack. Having an Argent in the Hale pack seemed wrong and it is risky in the werewolf community to have former Hunters in your pack; so I changed it when mom and dad disowned me."

Erica nodded "I'm sorry to bring it up."

"It's okay. No one told you. I don't talk about it much. My dad spent most of the night last night erasing all record of Allison Argent; all official records now state that I was an orphan named Allison Smith before I changed my name to McCall-Lahey."

Erica was shocked; no wonder Allison was so tough, she had to be. With parents more concerned with training her from early childhood so she could continue a hunting legacy, and then have them disown her when she went against the legacy must be difficult. Erica was surprised she wasn't in tears.

It was then Erica realized how emotionally immature she was compared to some of her pack members. Allison's parents disowned her and she had not shed a tear over it, she was focusing on the danger that faced the pack. Malia had just lost her dad and met her biological father all in the span of hours, and she was keeping herself composed now, relaying her fight with the other pack to Derek and Cora to help figure out who these wolves were and where they were from. Lydia had been attacked by Peter and haunted by his sprit, and she was sitting in the same room with him composed. And here Erica was, ready to breakdown because her parents refused to come to  _Wolf's Run_ , and called her and her pack names because they did not understand; maybe she was a  _Puppy_. Yes, she was the youngest, but she was also the most immature, they all had gone through battles together, or had things happen that forced them into adulthood, they had all seen death but until a few weeks ago she was just a teenaged girl with some health problems.

It was time to start growing up, and rise to be the alpha-female they needed her to be. They needed her stronger, more confident in herself, they needed her to be ready to lead if Derek and Cora could not. She couldn't be the leader of a wolf pack, if she was still holding on to her human insecurities; leaders needed to have confidence and be strong. She needed to let go of the cognitions that were holding her back. So what she had been bullied? Her pack-mates put a stop to that. So what she used to be sick? The bite had cured her, and she was healthy now. So what if her parents no longer understood her? They still loved her, and she still loved them. She had a pack to understand her, and she needed to protect that first. So what if they did not want to come to  _Wolf's Run_  to be safe? It was their own decision, they were adults, and they were not pack. She could not alpha-order them to come. She was allowed to be sad but she could not let their decision cripple her when her pack needed her.

She used to be human, and now she wasn't. Yes, she was mad at the less-than ideal way she was turned, but she could not go back and change it. What's done is done, and to be honest she was more comfortable in her own skin as a wolf than she ever was a human. She had to think like a wolf, and stop thinking about the beast that lived inside her was a separate entity. Erica and her wolf were the same person. She needed to listen to both sides of herself (wolf and human) in order to keep herself and her pack alive, not ignoring one to listen to another.

At those thoughts she felt her two sides begin merge into one. As this began the shuffling and discussion that was taking place around her halted.

_"What's happening with Blondie?" Jackson asked._

_"Erica! Are you okay?" Lydia asked._

_"She's been staring off into space since she and Allison's stopped talking." Isaac said. "It looks like she's catatonic."_

_"What's happening Derek?" Malia said worriedly. "Is she sick? Is she rejecting the bite really late?"_

_"I don't know." Derek said. "Our mate-bond is weak because we haven't mated, I can't sense her thoughts, but I feel a tugging, like she's pulling at our bond…changing it and strengthening it."_

_"That's a familiar sensation…but I happens when your clothes are off and you mash your naked bodies together in a frenzied passion, and unfortunately everyone has their clothes on." Stiles said._

_"Oh do shut up. All of you." Peter said. "I've seen this before. It's perfectly normal."_

_"What's happening?" Derek asked. "When have you seen this happen?"_

_"With your dad. When he rose to alpha-male. It happened a year after they mated, when a larger pack came to town and made threats against the pack. It was just talk, not real threats like this one, but it was enough." Peter said. "She's rising to alpha-female, she'll be a beta with some alpha powers. She's responding to the threat by rising so she'll be stronger and able to help defend the pack. It's impressive usually takes longer in Bitten-mates, she can't be older than a month?"_

_"What do we do?" Derek asked perplexed. "Is it going to harm her that she's rising so soon after I gave her the bite."_

_"No, the only people that should be fearful she is rising are these idiots that declared war this morning. I bet they did not anticipate you having a mate Derek. Even insane in-bred idiots know not to attack a pack that has a mated pair leading it. Just keep doing what you have been doing. This takes a little while."_

She could hear them talking still but did not focus on it. This merging of halves felt amazing. She still felt like the same Erica she had always been, but now she felt more. She felt powerful, and could feel the presence of each pack member. She felt a link with all of them and drew strength from those links. Once she felt the merge complete itself she examined the link she had with Derek, and realized he was right, it was strengthening itself, all her links to the pack were.

She knew being aware of the links was important, not only did it provide her strength but it would help her find them if they were ever in danger.

_Danger. Pack is in danger. Must rise to protect._

A threat to herself, her mate and her pack was imminent and the Hale Pack needed an alpha-female. Their lives and way of living were under real threat. A rival pack intended on killing her mate and pack-mates and using her pack sisters and herself against their will to breed more wolves. That was not happening. Not to the people she loved. She would rip out anyone's threat that dared try.

_Intruders will die. Die for their threat. Die for hurting pack-sister._

She had to agree with her wolf-half, while her human-half hated the idea of having to kill it agreed that her pack needed to be kept whole above everything else. If that meant having to kill to keep everyone safe then that's what she would do.

_No one harms our pack. Not while we are alpha-female._

Erica grinned and felt her eyes glow. These past few weeks she had been horrified about being turned and possibly having a leader-ship role within her pack, because she felt weak and out of place. Now she felt strong and confident in her place. She was confident she could help protect her pack, her loved ones and she and her mate could lead them.

"Erica?" Derek said as she came out of her trance. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Why? What did I miss?" She said. He was standing right in front of her, hands on her shoulders looking perplexed.

"What?" Erica asked looking around.

"Your eyes. They are solid red, they have only ever flashed red before." Derek said.

"They won't stay like that." Peter interjected. "They should fade in a few minutes. After that they'll only glow red when the pack is threatened. Otherwise its beta-yellow for our little alpha-female."

She leaned into Derek, seeking comfort. "So what did I miss?"

"We figured out that the tattoo on their necks is a family crest. Very old timey. Our family hasn't used a crest in a few hundred years because we live among humans, and have been matriarchal until recently…" Cora said from her seat on the floor by the coffee table "It was silly to have a family crest when the last name was always changing because we had to stay with human naming traditions."

"So we know who they are?"

"Not exactly." Malia said from the couch. She had a large book in her hands. "These crests are all very similar. I've narrowed it down to five packs."

"Which five?" Peter asked her. Malia gave him a mistrustful look. "I know you don't know me, don't want to like me because your dad just died. But if I can help keep us all alive we might get the opportunity to get to know each other one day."

Boyd, who sat next to Malia took her hand in his. "Come on babe. He can help. We all can help narrow this down."

Malia nodded. "Okay, I only looked at the pack crests in North and South America, I'm assuming that they wouldn't need to travel across oceans to find packs with she-wolves."

"You assumed correctly." Derek said. "Which narrows it down because there are far more packs outside of North and South America than there are in it. Let's hear it, Cora and I will help where we can but Peter would know more. We learned from him and mom."

"The possibilities are; The Kline Pack, The Thorne Pack, The Perez Pack, The Diaz Pack and the Turner Pack**." She said looking about the room, seeing if any of the names struck a cord.

"Wasn't dad apart of the Diaz Pack? They took him in when he was a pup and his mom was killed by Argents?" Cora said.

At this Allison edged herself behind her mates. Erica understood now the need to distance herself from her birth family. The Argents had killed many wolves and orphaned many children, and had done significant damage to Derek and Cora's family tree.

"Yes, they adopted him." Peter said. "My mother grew up with Anita Diaz, they were close friends. The bond between our packs only strengthened when Talia married Derek Sr^. Even if it wasn't they aren't the ones that did this."

"How do you know that? They could be mad or have a new alpha with twisted ideas." Danny asked Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Personal reasons."

"That was vague." Stiles said.

"You saw almost-Aunt Sandy while you were gone didn't you." Cora grinned at Peter. "Did she kick your ass?"

"Who?" Jackson said.

"His ex-fiancé Sandra Diaz. They weren't mates but Mom and Sandy's sister, who was her alpha, insisted on the match, because they weren't getting any younger and neither of them had produced any pups." Derek paused looking at Malia. "…That we knew of. They hated each other, and Sandy made it clear by kicking the crap out of Peter whenever they saw each other."

"She sounds perfect for you Pete. What did you do to screw it up?" Stiles asked. "Cheat on her?"

Cora interjected before Stiles could say more, putting her hand over her mate's mouth. "The fire happened before the wedding could. Peter went into a coma, and Aunt Sandy took us in for a few weeks after while Laura sorted out custody agreements and Peter's hospital care. Haven't seen her since."

Peter looked genuinely sad. "I went to see her, see if we could rekindle things. Being mate-less and wife-less at my age is not how a wolf wants to lead his life. She found her mate." He said, then quickly shook off the somber moment and went back to business. "Before she kicked me out of her house she mentioned how her older sister was still the alpha still. So, as I said, not the Diaz Pack. And while you're at it eliminate the Turner Pack as suspects. Mike Turner's dad just died and he is alpha now; his pack as more females than males and he loves humans. He would not kill a human unless they tried to kill a pack-member."

"Okay…" Malia said "What about the Perez Pack?"

"I don't know who their alpha is, or anything recent about them. Keep them as suspects. Last I heard they were still living in the old days. It could be them."

"The Kline Pack?"

"Nope. My Dad's mom was a Kline. If this pack wants she-wolves to breed with they are going to want to get she-wolves that are distantly related at least. Two generations back is too close." Peter said. "And that leaves the Thorne Pack which I have never heard of in my life. They may not associate with non-pack members."

"So it is either the Perez Pack or the Thorne Pack?" Erica said.

"Looks like it." Peter said before tensing and smelling the air. " _Mate."_  He growled.

"Excuse you?" Erica said. No, thank you she already had a Hale. She only needed one.

"He's not talking about you." Ethan said with a smile. "He just caught the scent of the person at the end of the Driveway."

Derek's phone made a 'ding' noise. Erica recognized it as the app he had that sends him updates about  _Wolf's Run_  security. He opened up the app and Erica saw the live-feed on the front gate.

" _Derek Hale, are you going to let me in or not? My daughter says I'm in danger so here I am."_ Ms. Martin said from the screen.

"Of course Sarah^^." Derek said tapping another button on his phone and entering the security code. "Come on in. It will close and lock behind you."

" _Have Lydia and her hunky boyfriend meet me at the house. I need help with my bags."_ She said as she drove away from the camera's view.

Lydia, eyes wide looked from Peter to the door managing to look horrified and disgusted at the same time. "No! No! I forbid it!"

"It's not like he can help it Lyd." Aiden said.

Peter had stood up and made his way toward the door, taking advantage of everyone surprise, leaving the house. Everyone followed not quite knowing what to do about this development.

Ms Martin parked her car right in front of the Den and hopped out. She raised her eyebrow at the pack standing on the porch as most of them had shock on their faces and then her gaze found Peter's. Peter was making his way toward her at a human pace. Ms. Martin put her hand on her chest and stepped forward involuntarily.

"What happened?" Erica said.

"Mating pull. Mating effects humans differently than wolves, you didn't feel it when you were human but you felt attraction." Derek said. "Sarah is feeling the pull and attraction."

So that pull she felt towards Derek wasn't what normal attraction was? Maybe she should sit down and talk with him about it soon. She had a few things she had been avoiding speaking about in the past few weeks, and now that she had merged her halves her avoidances seemed stupid and childish.

Peter reached Ms Martin, quickly grabbed her and kissed her. A few of the boys made catcalls, once the kiss seemed like it was never going to end.

"Where have you been all my life, beautiful?" Peter whispered to Sarah when she broke the kiss.

Sarah laughed, blushing and smiling. "Well, nice to meet you too handsome. I'm Sarah Martin. And you are?"

"Peter Hale."

Sarah's expression darkened and she stepped back from him. "The same Peter Hale that bit my baby, triggered a Banshee gene and haunted her until she resurrected him?"

Peter looked down at his feet in shame. "Yes."

Sarah then began to use her handbag to beat Peter. Lydia and Malia rushed off the porch to stop it.

The rest of the pack just laughed.

Erica looked up, to see that Derek was having a hard time keeping the smile off his face. "This should be an interesting relationship to see unfold." He said.

* * *

After Lydia and Malia were able to pull Sarah away from beating up Peter. Derek ordered all of them to their rooms (or houses). The attack had happened in the early morning and the day had been nothing but draining since then. It wasn't even noon and the whole pack was running on fumes…especially Malia. Derek decided that they could plan their next move more effectively once they all had some sleep and time to let their emotions adjust.

Before dispersing they placed Sarah's things in one of the guest rooms upstairs, and prepared the room next to hers for the Sheriff and Melissa's use. Everyone went to their rooms with the exception of Sarah, Peter and Derek.

Sarah and Peter decided to talk it out in the living room, Sarah knew what mates were so didn't need explaining but the situation was awkward, because of Peter's past with Lydia. Lydia was not happy about the development, but noticed that her mom was affected by the bond already, and wasn't going to stand in her mother's way of a soulmate; even if said soulmate was Peter.

Before Derek could go upstairs to the room he had been staying in Erica dragged him to her…their room. They needed to talk. She dragged him to the window seat and they both sat down.

"How did you know I was your mate?" She wanted to know. "How does a wolf know a mate is a mate?"

Derek sighed, "Wolves know by scent. Once you smell your mate you feel a pull towards them and your inner wolf screams that that is your mate. Human mates of wolves experience it less intensely but they feel something." Derek said. "When your wolf recognizes my scent what does she label it as?"

"Mate. She says Mate. Never your name. And I feel the pull Derek; I just thought that was regular old attraction, not our bond. I know different now since I rose." She said taking his hand. "I'm sorry if you felt ignored. I just haven't been handling things well."

Derek shook his head. "You have been doing great." He said kissing her hand then pulling her into a hug. They cuddled up on the window seat. "Do you want to know how I found you?"

Erica nodded and snuggled closer into his embrace.

"The first time I smelt you was on Lydia after she came home from school one day. It was awkward. Aiden was close to declaring himself omega until I explained that when I said Mate, I wasn't saying Lydia was my mate, I was saying she had been in close quarters with my mate. That same night Mellissa had come over to talk to Scott, I don't remember why but the scent on her was stronger. I asked her and Lydia who would they have both been in close quarters with that day."

Erica stiffened she knew of the day he was talking about. Derek kept telling the story. "That day apparently you had a seizure during the philosophy class you were taking. Lydia was in that class and took care of you until the ambulance came. Then Melissa helped you at the hospital." He chuckled before telling her the next part. "Melissa spent the next hour screaming at me that I had no business thinking sweet little Erica was my mate because you were only seventeen. So I tried to keep my distance, and was pretty successful, did not track you down, told Mellissa not to tell me your last name until you were eighteen. I didn't want to tempt myself. You deserved the life of a normal teenaged girl."

"But you didn't stay away."

"When Mellissa called and said you are in the hospital again I couldn't. My wolf went crazy, I needed to make sure you were ok." He said. "I didn't intend on giving you the bite. I wanted that to be your choice but as soon as my wolf smelt you he got angry. We could tell that you were endangering yourself by not taking your meds. I didn't really have control after that. The alpha in me sort of took over until the next thing I knew you were in transition and passed out in the morgue."

Erica was silent, and sat up so that she was facing Derek. "I'm not mad anymore Derek. I would have liked the choice, but … I can't stay mad." She paused before the next part. "Derek, I'm still not ready for the actual mating part of being your mate…

"I don't expect you to be Erica…"

"Let me finish. I know you don't expect that of me. I'm trying to ask you if you would move your things back in this room. I want to act like your mate, be your partner everything besides the act of mating…I'm ready for it."

Derek grinned. "Really?"

Erica nodded. "Wanna kiss me now?"

He didn't hesitate. He kissed her and for the next few hours they alternated between making out and napping.

* * *

Around sundown, Melissa arrived at  _Wolf's Run_  she had two suitcases; one of hers and one of the Sheriff's which she ordered her two sons to take to the room her and her husband would be staying in. Scott, Stiles, Derek and Erica were the only ones that greeted her at the door everyone else was still in their rooms. With Scott and Stiles upstairs, and Derek in the study because Deaton finally called back, it was just her and Melissa.

"Everyone taking a nap?" Melissa asked.

"Yes." Erica said. "It's been a tough day, and for some a tough weekend. I was thinking about starting dinner. I don't think anyone ate anything all day."

"Sounds like a great idea. I'll help!" Sarah said, exiting the living room holding Peter's hand.

Mellissa's eyes widened. "I'll help to, because this is a story I have to hear."

The three of them made their way to the pantry and started preparing a meal large enough to serve the whole pack. While they were making dinner and chatting other members of the pack started making their way to the main floor of the Den. Everyone did their part to either help cook or help set the table. The Sheriff arrived back as everyone was taking their seats and joined in.

They all ate as if it were a typical meal, not as if someone had died or a pack was after them. Erica saw how much Malia appreciated the normalcy and the routine of the meal.

As they were cleaning up afterwards, Lydia tensed and began to shake.

"Lyd, honey what's wrong?" Sarah said making her way to her daughter.

"I…something bad is about to happen…I can't…" Lydia said.

Peter made his way over to her; Lydia flinched at his closeness but did not say much else. "You are a Banshee, you can hear what we can't. You can help. You need to trust your instincts and focus. Don't be afraid of your powers. You can do way more than see a death as it happens."

"No I cant." Lydia said she said getting angrier.

"Leave her alone Peter. If she says she can't she can't." Sarah said

"Yes, she can, but only if you all stop coddling her." He growled. "Lydia, you raised me from the dead. Just let go a bit and let your powers take over."

"Leave. Me. Alone. Peter." She screamed throwing her hands out in front of her and letting out a wail that threw Peter across the room and into the wall.

"See what you can do when you let your power take control." Peter said, standing up. "What's about to happen Lydia?" he asked.

Lydia had stopped shaking and was looking at Peter in surprise.

"Sweetie, do you know what's happening now?" Sarah asked.

"Rival pack sets a fire. Two die."

"Who?" Derek asked

Lydia paused looking towards Erica. "Your parents."

Erica ran out the door, the Sheriff , Lydia and Derek were right behind her. The four of them got in to the Sheriff's cruiser and he turned on the siren as he pulled down the driveway. While the Sheriff called the fire department, Lydia broke the ash barrier so they could leave.

* * *

They arrived at the house as the fire trucks were pulling up. Derek held her back from running in to get her parents. She watched as her childhood home burnt to the ground. The Firefighters were able to recover her parents but they had died before their bodies were burnt, the Sheriff said they he needed an autopsy on the both of them.

"Erica, your eyes." Lydia whispered.

She knew. She could feel her eyes glowing; she saw everything through a red haze. But she was too distraught to care. Let them see her tears and her freaky eyes. Her Mommy and Daddy were dead. She wanted to blame herself for not being able to protect them, she wanted to blame them for not listening to her but she knew that the only ones responsible for this were the in-bred wolves that wanted to kill everyone she cared about.

Lydia grabbled her and pulled her into a hug, while Derek talked to the firemen and policemen giving them their official statement. He couldn't tell them that Lydia sensed it, so he told them that someone called the mansion and told him that anyone that supported their freaky cult would burn, like his family did all those years ago. It was a plausible explanation. The closeness of the pack was something people didn't understand; they understood close friendship but not a friendship so close that you live together on a private estate on the edge of town. This way her parents deaths and Mr. Tate's deaths would be linked and this would give the Sheriff cause to put patrols on the Yukimura home and have someone looking after Melissa when she went to work.

Erica understood the need for the lie and repeated as best she could when she was asked for her version of the events.

"Erica can I have your version of what happened?" The female deputy asked.

"We were having a dinner. Someone called. Threatened my friends and I…said they would burn down the house…." Her tears and grief prevented her from telling the whole lie, but she got enough out to confirm Derek's story.

The crowd watching the scene thinned as her parents bodies were taken away, and the police vehicles and fire trucks left. The Sheriff just left, having to go to the station; Cora and Stiles were on their way in one of the SUVs to take them home. The Sheriff asked for Malia and Erica to be at the station tomorrow to identify their parent's bodies, and said he would try to be back at  _Wolf's Run_  tonight. Derek and Lydia were talking and walking around the house, seeing if there was anything they could salvage for her to remember their parents by. She was observing what was left of the crowd.

Two people remained surveying the scene. Or rather, surveying her. Her nose identified them.

_Wolves. Scents on Mr Tate's body._

Erica's eyes flashed again and the wolves began to run away.

"Not today boys." She said, shifting. "You don't kill my parents and get to live."

Derek and Lydia heard her speak and joined her, Lydia stood back but Erica felt Derek shift and stand beside her.

"Shit." One of the wolves said. "They're alpha-mates. Eddie said he wasn't mated."

Erica lunged at the one that spoke. He was a strong older beta, but he didn't stand much chance against an angry, threatened, grieving alpha-female. Without looking she felt Derek lunging for the one she wasn't after. She knew his intent was to keep his alive until he got information out of him, but she had no intention of keeping her's alive.

While she and Derek were fighting the wolves on her front lawn, she heard Lydia say something about how they could be seen. Erica didn't care she was busy breaking bone.

"Let go. Trust your instinct." She heard Lydia whisper before she let out a scream, that did not hurt Erica's ears, but shattered the streetlights.

Erica though that was prefect. It gave her the perfect opportunity to strike. Her new alpha-senses made night vision better than any other wolves, so while the darkness was jarring to her opponent, it did not affect her at all.

Stiles and Cora pulled up a large SUV and jumped out when they saw that the streetlights weren't on and Erica was fighting.

"Who are they?" Stiles asked.

"Rivals." Derek said, having already beat his opponent, threw they unconscious wolf at his sister and her mate. "Tie him up. Put him in the trunk. We need him alive for information. Help Lyd to the car when you are done, she can't see."

Erica heard Stiles open the trunk and throw the body in as Cora went for Lydia, who was still near the house. Derek approached her.

The wolf she had been fighting was awake but beaten. He looked up at her eyes, his blue orbs glowing up at her and he held nothing but disgust he had been beaten by a female.

"It doesn't matter if your bitch kills me or not Hale. My brothers will kill you all and take her and your other females. Eventually she'll be the mother to my nephews. The Thorne pack will rise again."

"Shut up." Erica growled.

"I'd listen to her. She's had a bad day." Derek said, she felt him shift back to human. "It's your call Erica. Kill him or someone else in the pack will. But he can't live and run back to his brother-cousins."

Erica didn't need to think. She and her wolf were one now, the wolf realized that her human side loves her parents like her wolf loves her packmates. Both sides were screaming for vengeance. She knew that once she took a life, it would change her but she didn't care. Mommy and Daddy were dead, this wolf helped kill them.

So she slit his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> *Allison's Surname – A few chapters ago when I listed the ages and species of each pack member I put Allison "McCall-Lahey" Argent (or Allison "Argent" McCall-Lahey…idr which). This confused a close friend of mine because the only other pack members I did this for were: ? "Stiles" Stilinski (whose legal name we do not know hence the "?" so we call him Stiles) and Malia "Hale" Tate – who is a Hale by blood and her legal name is Tate. She wanted to know if Allison was married to Scott and Isaac and if not why the McCall-Lahey. They are all Mated but they are not married; poly-amorous marriages are not legal in the USA. She has legally changed her name to McCall-Lahey, just because she can't be married doesn't mean she can't change her name to theirs.
> 
> ** Made up Pack names, and (later in the section) people names for the purposes of the story. These are the only OC's in the story so far.
> 
> ^ Named his Dad Derek Sr, no name given in show, actually he isn't even mentioned
> 
> ^^Lydia's mom is Ms. Martin on the show, but decided to call her Sarah, because she will be important and she needed a first name.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published:Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

After ending the jerks life, Erica made her way towards the SUV. She was covered in his blood, but did not care.

She slid in back seat with Cora and Lydia. She noticed in passing that the other wolf was alive in the back seat, and that he started squirming when Stiles and Derek threw in the corpse of his packmate next to him. She paid him no more than a passing thought. Her Mate and packmates would get information out of him and end him. She wanted to go home and grieve.

Derek and Stiles got in the front seat and drove home. Cora held her hand in comfort but no one said a word.

When they got back to  _Wolf's Run_  she saw that the entire pack was on the porch waiting for them. These people were what she had left of family; Derek, Cora, Malia, Stiles, Scott, Boyd, Isaac, Allison, Lydia, Kira, Danny, Jackson, Ethan, Mellissa, The Sheriff, Sarah and Peter. She would kill again if it meant protecting them, just like she intended to kill in her parents' name. The Thorne Pack would not have time to rue the day they set their sights on her pack because she intended on exterminating every last one of them.

As Erica stepped out of the car, she heard a few sharp intakes of breath at her blood-soaked appearance.

"You didn't think I could do it." Erica asked the group, her eyes were still glowing and silent tears were streaming down her face.

Peter was the only one brave enough to answer. "I'll admit that I doubted your ability to take a life to protect the pack because you are so young. But losing loved ones to a fire is enough to drive anyone to that point."

Erica nodded in agreement as Malia stepped forward taking her hand and leading her towards the house.

_Pack sister. In pain too. Wants vengeance too._

Malia and Erica walked up to Erica's room. Malia provided Erica with the same comfort Erica had done for her. Helped her to the shower, got rid of the soiled clothing, and got her clean clothing. Once Erica was cleaned and dressed she got into bed, and Malia was by her side. They stayed there for hours in silence, holding hands and drawing pain from each other.

They listened as Melissa, Sarah, Lydia and Kira cleaned the dining room and did the dishes. As Allison, Isaac, Scott and Stiles cleaned the blood from the car. As Peter, Derek and Cora tortured the captive for information; Peter coaching Derek on how to steal memories, before Derek decided the captive had outlived his usefulness and killed him. Then she listened as Danny, Jackson, the Twins and Boyd, took the bodies to the woods and burned them.

After everyone had finished their tasks and put on their pajamas, they began trickling into the master bedroom. Sarah and Mellissa came in to see if there was anything they needed, they ended up holding the girls while they cried. Lydia, Kira, Allison and Cora were next and they brought extra pillows and blankets, and the boys began bringing in mattresses from the spare rooms upstairs. As everyone began making beds on the floor Sarah poked her head up and asked the question Erica wanted to.

"What are you doing?"

"In the wild, wolves care for each other when they are sick or in pain. They want to comfort their pack mates. The same goes for werewolf packs." Peter said. "They all decided that they wanted to be closer to Erica and Malia in their time of need."

"Well, if you kids are having a sleep over we should go to our own rooms." Mellissa said to Sarah.

At this, Erica growled. She hugged Mellissa tighter and felt Malia tighten her grip on Sarah. "You are pack too. Please stay." Erica said.

"You too Peter." Malia said. "You stay."

"Malia, come on. He's  _Peter_." Stiles groaned.

"He's a Hale. He's pack." She said.

"No one is treated like an omega in my pack." Erica said.

Everyone agreed with her. And continued making beds. Derek and Boyd ended up switching places with Sarah and Melissa. Most everyone shared a bed with his or her mates (except for Sarah who shared with Melissa, and Peter who slept alone). Erica relished in the fact that nearly her whole pack was in the same room.

Lydia brought her dog Prada with her, and the small pup had somehow made its way onto the bed and wiggled his way in-between Malia and Erica. He then proceeded to kiss them both until they giggled, briefly forgetting their pain.

"Sorry guys." Lydia said, walking to the bed and scooping up the dog. "I couldn't leave him alone at our house. I can make him sleep in the hall."

"It's fine Lydi. I don't mind." Malia said sitting up reaching for him. "Come to Auntie 'Lia!"

Lydia smiled and handed Prada to Malia, then retuned to the bed she was to share with Aiden.

"So is this the type of sleep over where we all get to talk until we fall asleep because I know a few of us have some questions to bring up." Isaac asked.

Scott groaned. "I wish you and Stiles still disliked each other! You are impossible now that you two are hanging out."

"Impossible? I am so possible." Stiles said. "What do you mean impossible?"

"The fact the two of you gossip like twelve year olds." Cora said. "He's not wrong, it was less scary when you two were snarking at each other. Now that the two of you are friends…"

"They aren't that bad." Kira said.

"Thank you Kira." Isaac said. "Since you supported us we will ask you the first question."

"Yeah!" Stiles said, "When were you and Jackson going to finally tell the pack that you Mated with each other?"

"I…how could you possibly…"Kira stuttered.

"Lay off. We agreed that we would use our supernatural abilities against each other." Jackson said. "And the only way you could know that is if you were intentionally sniffing my mate to see if she was a virgin."

"Ow!" Came from both Isaac and Stiles "What was that for?"

"For invading Kira and Jackson's privacy." Cora, Scott and Allison all said at once.

Erica was passively listening to the conversation, her mind spinning. "Wait!" she yelled, shooting up in bed. "The gate."

"Has been re-ashed by me." Allison said.

"Security system?" Erica said.

"Engaged. Cameras on, Fences electrified." Cora said.

"The Yukimuras?"

"They are fine." Kira said. "I called them before I came up here. Sheriff has a detail on them and mom is on high alert. Still refuses to come here."

"The Deatons?"

"In hiding. They will be in touch." Derek said, trying to coax her to lying back down.

"Sheriff?"

"Working late." Mellissa said. "He has a security code to get in here after work. Derek said the system will let notify him when John* is at the gate, so he can re-enage the security system."

Erica nodded. "Pack safe?"

"We're all safe here Puppy." Stiles said. "Now lay back down and listen to Lydia's thoughts on her stepfather to be…."

Everyone that was still awake groaned at Stiles last remark, and Erica layed back down snuggling close into Derek's arms.

"Shut it Stilinski." Cora said. "We're all tired. You and Lahey can gossip like children tomorrow."

"But I want to know these things!" Stiles whined. "I also want to know how a werewolf and a kitsune mate but since that line of questioning was shut down…"

"Stiles, please go to sleep. Or I will tell everyone your given name." Mellissa said with a yawn. Most of the room had fallen asleep or was falling asleep, and did not have the energy to order Stiles to shut up.

Stiles gulped before saying. "Yes, mom."

* * *

The next few days were difficult.

On the first day, Erica and Malia had to go to the sheriff's station and meet with their parent's lawyers. They decided that bringing too many pack mates would be suspicious so Peter accompanied them. Derek would not let his mate or his cousin leave  _Wolf's Run_  alone, and Derek joining them would play into the towns suspicions of him being a cult leader. But once the gossip got around that Peter was Malia's biological father it seemed normal that he would accompany his child and her friend while they were grieving.

_"Don't you worry nephew. Those lunatics won't get near Malia and Erica on my watch. I will protect them with everything I have. And you know how strong they both are on their own. We will be fine."_

Peter was right; they were fine as far as not having any run-ins with the Thorne Pack. Otherwise the day was totally not fine. They had to be interviewed extensively by the police, they had to identify their parents' remains, meet with lawyers about their parents' estate and plan funerals. Erica and Malia refused to separate from one another during any of the meetings. They held hands and drew pain from one another the whole day. If they had to go through this experience, they needed to go through it together. Peter mostly stood outside the door to whatever room they were moved to, and acted as an extra set of eyes for them so they could focus on other things.

Erica ordered the pack to sleep in their own rooms after that first night. She appreciated the comfort but after such a grueling day; and knowing how grueling the next few day would be she just wanted to cry. She made a deal with herself that outside her bedroom she had to be the strong alpha-female for her pack and the world but in her room, she could be the scared, grieving human. Only her mate would see her vulnerable.

The next three days were spent planning the funeral and settling with the parents' estate and insurance companies. Her parents death was ruled a homicide by arson, and Malia's dad's death was ruled a homicide, both were murders were quickly solved.

While Malia, Peter and herself were out dealing with the repercussions of death, the rest of the Hale Pack was doing recognizance on the Thorne Pack. Derek had extracted memories from their captive's brain about their rivals. Using this information Derek started training everyone harder. Derek did not want to take on the Thorne Pack until the pack was ready, there were more of them and they were much older, it would not be an easy fight. Erica, did not like that they were not striking down the goons swiftly, but as an alpha she knew her pack was not yet ready to take on a pack of that size. Luckily, the Hale Pack was working hard in training in case the Thorne's came after them first. The threat had gotten Kira more control over her foxfire, and she was training with her mother more, picking up combat skills quickly. Her wolf brothers were getting better at using stealth and relying on more than just brute strength in a fight. Lydia was practicing using her wail to subdue attackers or fling them away, and was getting good at it, and Sarah and Mellissa were taking shooting lessons from Allison.

The intelligence that Derek gathered was helpful, but he was unable to get more than the basics from the captive's head. The Thorne's were twenty-three males aged from sixteen to forty (not counting the two that Erica and Derek killed) and their alpha was Edward. Edward, or Eddie, was blood related to every member of his pack. The pack had been inbreeding with each other for generations, and had survived by capturing the occasional female omega wolf that ran across their home territory. Recently, the last female Thorne miscarried a child, which was a sign to the Thorne's that she had to die, so Edward killed her. A female Thorne had not survived infancy in twenty years (due to their rule that male children needed to eat first) and the pack had not come across any omegas in the last fifteen. Edward Thorne refused to mate with humans, or bite them because he did not want to contaminate the bloodline. They did not know that Erica was bitten or that Malia wasn't pure wolf, all they knew was that Hale Pack had three young she-wolves. They thought that the Hales would be easily overpowered due to their young alpha, the fact that most of their males were bitten, the high amount of non-wolves that were considered pack and their small numbers. They did not anticipate a big fight.

But they got one. The night after the Thorne's burned down Erica's parents' house, three Thorne's broke into the Yukimura home after killing the sheriff's deputy assigned to watch the house. Mr Yukimura shot one to death, and Mrs. Yukimura decapitated the other two. The three bodies were taken to the morgue and declared the persons responsible for the murders of the deputy, Mr. Tate, and her parent's based on DNA left on Mr. Tate's body and testimony from the Yukimura's. The Yukimuras were not charged in their deaths the only got a staged talking to outside their home from the sheriff about the dangers of having Samari swords and handguns about the house.

The howls that sounded that night were not of her pack; she could not translate them but knew they were the howls of the Thorne pack grieving over the loss of five pack members. Those grieved howls made it a bit easier for Erica to deal with the next few days of meetings and decisions, knowing that the ones responsible for her parents' death were hurting gave her strength to do what needed to be done.

* * *

One week after their deaths, Erica and Malia hosted a joint funeral and memorial service for their parents at the local funeral home. The day was one of the most emotionally difficult days in her existence, and she broke her no crying rule several times. The whole pack attended, along with friends of their parents, other concerned townspeople and her a few family members that were able to make it to Beacon Hills to say goodbye.

With her wolf hearing Erica could hear the gossip about her and Malia's involvement with the pack being the cause of their parents' death. Erica tried to ignore it, she knew that neither she nor the pack was at fault; the Thorne Pack was. But still it was difficult to hear the gossip first hand about her pack being a cult, and how Derek must have killed their parents for trying to get their daughters out. How the sheriff, Mellissa and Sarah were only sitting with them out of fear Derek would kill them next; and how the Yukimuras helped cover up the Derek's actions by killing innocent out-of-towners and saying they broke in. It was all ridiculous gossip, but it made her upset. These people were her pack, her family. They loved her and took care of her all week, with little thanks from her in her grief. Both she and Malia had yelled, hit and blamed them all while grieving and they still were there for them. She knew that her blood relatives would not put up with her behavior, even the ones that cared enough to show up for the funeral. Her pack was there for her, and would be there no matter what, how dare the gossips blame them for her parent's death.

She did not say a word about it to the outsiders but turned to her packmates that sat around her, wolves and non-wolves and thanked them for helping her through this.

"Oh sweetie. We'll always be here to help. It's what family does." Melissa told her with a smile.

"We are a pack. And a pack, is more than family." Peter explained. "Deeper connections, stronger ties than blood alone. Where family fails you, your pack will not." He said sending a meaningful glance to her mother's sister and brother and her father's sister, the only family members that bothered to attend.

Malia growled, looking in the direction of her aunts and uncle. "My dad had no one but me and his parents, and they could be bothered to come. What the hell is that? You can't attend your only child's funeral?"

"Shh, 'Lia. We're all here for him." Cora told her cousin. "You're here."

Malia nodded and turned to Erica. "You ready to do this?"

Erica sighed. "Yes and No. Want to do it together?"

"No. We have to do this on our own  _Puppy_. It will help us to move on." Malia said standing up and walking towards the front.

Everyone started to quiet down as Malia got to the podium. "Hi. I'm Malia. Erica and I would like to thank you all for attending today. It means a lot to our parents and to us. We wanted to start the service with sharing a speech about our parents, and after if anyone else would like to say anything you can. So I guess I'll start." She said inhaling audibly.

After a pause she spoke. "My Dad always knew that I wasn't his child biologically. And he never cared, never treated me different than he treated my baby sister. He only ever made one slip up. When the accident happened, and my mom and sister died, I survived. The night after he was praying and asked God to take care of his daughter and wife. I asked him what he meant and he told me. Daddy never lied to me a day in his life, and nothing changed after we both knew the truth. He still held me when I had nightmares, helped me through  _hairy_ situations, made sure I did my homework, and helped me grow into the woman I am today. When we found out that my biological father was Peter Hale, he was upset that I might call someone else dad and forget about him, and moved back to Beacon Hills. No matter how many times I told him that getting to know Peter would not change my love for him, he was still insecure. The night before he was killed, we were having dinner together, just the two of us and he told me how he had been being childish, that even if I one day called Peter 'Dad' that would be okay. He said that he raised me, he loved me since I was an infant and me calling him and someone else Dad would not change that. My Daddy was a great man, a smart man, a kind man; he cared about everyone, he tried to help people as much as possible and no matter how many people this world ripped away from him by death he never lost what made him the kind man he was. I don't want to say goodbye, but I have to." She said looking up towards the ceiling. "Bye Daddy. I love you. I hope I can make you proud. And God please take care of my Daddy."

Malia left the podium and ran straight into Boyd's waiting arms. "You did good 'Lia." He whispered as she sobbed into his chest.

Erica then made her way to the podium. Looking out at the sad, sympathetic faces in the crowd. "My parents and I never fought until I made my new friends. They were happy that I finally had friends but upset that I made friends with the group of people this town loves to gossip about. The last conversation we had was an argument. Dad hated Derek, mostly because of the rumors and a little bit because of my crush on him and Mom hated people talking about her so when I called begging them to come stay with us at  _Wolf's Run_ after Mr. Tate died because I was concerned for their safety they declined. The last words either of them said to me was 'we'll be fine'. And hours later I'm standing in front of my childhood home, watching it burn to the ground. I spent the past week mad. I was mad at them for not coming to safety, mad at myself for having friends, mad at my friends for having such a close bond that people like to talk about, mad at this town for talking about them, mad that I did not get to say goodbye to them and our last words to each other weren't 'I love you' and most of all mad at the people who burned down my childhood home while my mom and dad were still in it. I feel robbed. My parents just helped me celebrate my birthday but they won't be there for countless other birthdays, and any other milestones I reach and that makes me mad. But I can't spend the rest of my days mad, being so angry all week has drained me, there are people alive that love me and I need to be there for them. Mom and Dad would not want to see me this angry all the time. I'm not saying that I won't miss them everyday, I just want to live my life to the fullest so they can be proud of me." Erica looked over at the large photo of her parents on their wedding day and began to cry. "I love you mommy and daddy. Goodbye."

She walked away from the podium and took her seat next to Derek. She grabbed for his hand and rested her head on his shoulder, letting her tears flow.

The next few hours were spent listening to people tell stories about her parents and Mr. Tate. Some funny, some sad, some talking about kindness they showed. It was nice as far as a funeral/memorial service went. Then after the speeches, her and Malia went to the door, and thanked people for coming as they left. Her aunts and uncle were the last people (besides the pack) in the room.

"Erica." Her mom's sister said hugging her. "How are you holding up."

"As well, as can be expected." She said, breaking the hug and hugging her dad's sister and her uncle.

"Well, we should talk about when you will be moving." He uncle said. "The three of us talked last night and decided that it's best if we follow your parents will. My mom takes guardianship of you, the three of us need to get you ready to move east."

"I'm not leaving California to live with grandma in New York." Erica told them.

"Dear, you don't have a choice." Her father's sister said in a condensing tone. "Your parents may have let you move out, but you are a minor and have to have a guardian until your eighteen."

"I just turned eighteen." Erica said. "Three weeks ago. You sent me a happy birthday card."

The three of them looked shocked. "No, that was your seventeenth birthday." Her uncle said.

"Nope. Eighteenth."

They all looked embarrassed, and upset before she spoke again. "And how do you know about their will? My lawyer only read it to me."

"Well we asked to see it, they were our siblings and we were concerned about the sizable inheritance they left behind." Her father's sister said.

"It's mine. Trust fund managed by my lawyer until I'm twenty five."

"That's highly dangerous." Her uncle said turning his gaze to the pack who still was in their seats. "I have heard things about the people you have gotten yourself involved with. They will steal all that money."

Erica let out a hollow laugh. "My parents left me 500,000. I can only withdrawal from the account, with my lawyers permission to pay for school until I'm twenty five, when I can use it for what I want. If you listen to the rumors, you will know not only is Derek a supposed cult leader but he is also CEO of Hale Holdings and his salary from his job and his family wealth makes my inheritance look like spare pennies in comparison." She looked at her 'family' in disgust. "So that's the only reason you came, not because you lost a dear family member but because those dear family members made some great investments and saved their whole lives. You were hoping I was underage so you can get your cut."

"Now you wait little missy." Her mom's sister said. "You don't get to judge us, when your shaking up with those people doing Lord knows what."

Erica let her eyes flash yellow, making her aunts and uncles jump back. "Those people are better family to me than the three of you could ever be." Erica then pointed to the door. "Please see yourself out."

When they hurried out the door in fear her pack came towards her. Giving her hugs, saying that they would see her at home before leaving. Malia, Boyd, Derek and herself stayed behind as the funeral home director gave his condolences and asked which cemetery to send the cremated remain to.

"We'll take them." Derek said nodding to the urns.

Malia and Erica looked at him in confusion. "Der, they aren't Hales. Why would you want to put them in the Hale family mausoleum? " Malia asked.

"Because the two of you are family and deserve to visit your parents as often as you want to." He said.

Erica hugged him tight at this. "Thank you."

Derek then asked the director to engrave nameplates for each of the Reyes' and Mr Tate, just like the ones they had done for his family. The director told him that he would have them delivered in a few hours.

They left the funeral home with the urns and went to home. That evening when the name plates arrived, the whole pack gathered at the mausoleum and laid Her parents and Malia's dad to rest.

* * *

The day after the funeral, Erica descended the stairs in search of her missing mate. It was early morning and she had gotten used to waking up next to Derek, but he had already been gone when she woke this morning.

She heard voices coming from the study, so she focused her hearing.

Peter was talking. "No absolutely not! I won't allow it!"

"I have to agree with him mom, this is crazy." Lydia said.

"Your opinions are appreciated, but the decision is mine and Derek's to make." Sarah said. "I've already made my decision."

"This is ridiculous! You are not getting the bite mom!" Lyida yelled

"If Derek is willing to bite me, I will be. I am a liability to this pack without it. I need to be able to defend the pack and myself; I can't as a human. I'll be able to as a wolf or Banshee." Sarah said.

"This is your fault Peter." Lydia said. "If you hadn't explained to her and Derek how beneficial it would be to have Derek trigger someone's Banshee gene, we would not be in this mess."

"I was using Sarah as a hypothetical!" Peter said, sounding on edge. "Anyone besides my mate. While I love you nephew and realize how this could benefit you and our pack in the coming war… there is a strong possibility she could reject the bite. Please Derek, don't do this… I can't lose her."

"There is no guarantee that I got the gene from her anyway!" Lydia said. "I could have got it from my dad. Then this plan would be useless anyway, and she would be dead or a wolf."

"Both of you shut up." Derek said. "Sarah, I don't care about the benefits to myself or the pack if you turn into a Banshee. I only care that this is what you want, and that you are making this decision based on your own desires."

Sarah took a deep breath. "I need to do this. I cannot be the useless human. I need the ability to protect my daughter and my mate and this pack. Allison can do these things without the bite, Mellissa is valuable as a nurse, and John is a great shot they are all useful as humans."

"That's not true Sarah, you are valuable. We all care for you." Derek said

"Yeah mom, and you can put up ash barriers." Lydia said.

"I'd be able to do that as a Banshee. As it you explained it to me as you broke the news to me, Banshee's are like Druids in that they are at their core humans with extra abilities so mountain ash does not affect them." Sarah said. "I know the pack cares for me regardless. But please Derek, I need this."

"Fine." Derek said.

Lydia and Peter started to protest.

"Are the two of you going to shut up? Because If you don't you can leave the room and not be present for her bite." He said, and they immediately shut up.

"I love you Mommy." Lydia said, tears in her voice.

"You can't die on me beautiful." Peter pleaded. "We've lived far too long without each other already."

Sarah sighed. "Don't be ridiculous you two. I'll be fine. Let's do this Mr. Alpha Man."

Erica walked away, feeling like she had intruded, so she didn't hear the rest of the conversation but she knew the minute the bite happened, because the link she had with Sarah began to strengthen and change; becoming similar to the link she had with Lydia. The alpha-female in her was happy in this change within her pack; it would make them stronger.

She quickly found herself back at the study and opened the doors. She looked to Derek who had a slight smirk on his face and she beamed. He felt the link change too.

"Why are you two smiling?" Sarah said nursing the wounded arm. "We don't know if I rejected it yet or what I will be."

"You certainly have not rejected it!" Erica said.

"How can you possibly…" Lydia sputtered.

Peter interrupted her. "The Alpha and alpha-mate of a pack can sense all their pack members, like mates can sense each other. They feel the pack link, and can tell if a pack member is in danger or if they have changed. The link they have to Sarah would be snapping if she were rejecting the bite."

"It's not snapping Uncle. She will live." Derek said, grin not leaving his face.

"Well, out with it… Wolf or Banshee?" Sarah demanded.

Erica giggled, the first happy sound she had made in a week and leapt across he room to Derek. He caught her while she was midair and spun her around and laughed.

"Now is not the time for a creep alpha power trip." Lydia said, then whispered toward her mother. "They feel the power you will bring to the pack, it's kind of like a drug to Derek, I just didn't know Erica would be so effected."

"Lydi…" Erica singsonged as Derek put her down on her own two feet, and they stopped laughing. "I know where you get your Banshee gene from…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> *No one knows the sheriffs name. I'm going with John. Can't keep calling him Sheriff


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I'm issuing a content warning…TRIGGER WARNING: we meet some members of the Thorne pack in this chapter and they talk about what they plan on doing to Cora, Erica and Malia…so talk of rape, sexual assault and abuse. Like I stated before THAT SHIT WILL NOT ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THIS STORY. I don't roll like that. But still that talk alone will get some people understandably uncomfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

"So Lydia, are you mad that your mom is getting her Banshee on faster and more smoothly than you did?" Stiles said during training a few days after Sarah was given a bite.

Stiles and Isaac were sitting with Lydia and Erica on a picnic blanket watching Sarah fight off a mock attack from Peter, Derek and Scott, while the rest of the pack was sparring with each other or at target practice.

"No nude running through the woods, no freak outs, she can throw people around with her wail, and she has only been a banshee for a few days, you have been a Banshee nearly a year." Isaac said.

Lydia rolled her eyes at them. "She's older, and might have gotten the gene from both sides of the family. Of course she is going to be a bit stronger, and mature a bit faster than I did. I'm just glad that she is alive and can defend herself." She said as Sarah let out a wail throwing Peter, Derek and Scott again, this time the three of them landed near the picnic blanket.

Erica giggled and crawled over to where Derek landed, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Derek was holding his ears, in obvious pain over from the wail. "She didn't break too many bones did she?"

"Please don't speak so loud." He pleaded to her.

She looked over to where Peter and Scott landed; they seemed to be faring as well as Derek was. Isaac, having no sympathy for Scott because he, Cora and Boyd had spent a half hour being thrown around by Lydia, shook him.

"Stop being such a baby Scotty. Our mate's arrows hurt way more than an ear shattering banshee wail." Isaac said to his male mate. He then looked over at Stiles. "Can you believe this guy?"

Stiles shook his head. "Stop mentioning Allison's arrows okay? She uses them way to often to joke about. Shit hurts. Woman is hella scary." He said shaking off the thought of Allison and her arrows.

Derek, having recovered from his injury, took advantage of her distraction and grabbed her by the waist and flipping her over, pinning her to the ground. He smiled down at her.

"My, you are playful today." She said smiling up at him.

He responded by kissing her. Oh, it was kissy time again? She had begun to enjoy making out, but they had barely done more than cuddles and cheek kisses since her parents died.

"Ew gross." Came from Stiles. "That's worse than dad and mom's wedding. Get a room."

Derek broke the kiss gave a wicked grin to her. "Training is over for the day." He said standing upright and helping Erica up. "See you all at dinner." He finished before picking Erica up and tossing her onto his shoulder and walking away.

"Well, I guess I'm going with him." She said looking back at the pack members. "See ya!"

"Don't you two dare forget that the movie night tonight!" Lydia shouted towards them. "We are spending time as a pack that does not involve eating or training!"

"I won't forget." Erica assured her as they approached the house. Then unable to help herself, as she was looking down at it, she pinched her mate's butt.

She laughed when he stopped and switched how her was carrying her to bridal style. "I couldn't help myself."

He raised his eyebrow at this. "I intend to pay you back." He said the paused as he entered the back door of the Den, looking her in the eyes. "I missed your laugh and smile."

She simply smiled in return and leaned up, attempting to catch his lips for another kiss. The kissing was halted by Maila and Kira, who had entered the kitchen behind them.

"Please get a room. The rule is no making out in common areas. The kitchen is considered a common area." Malia said.

Erica looked up at her mate. "You heard her, to our room. The alpha-female wants kisses!" She ordered, pointing in the direction he needed to take, as if he had forgotten the way to their bedroom.

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

The next few days were much of the same: training, pack bonding, training, time alone with mates, eating, sleeping and lots of pack movie watching time. The pack had been on lockdown for two weeks, and no one (besides the Sheriff and Melissa) had left  _Wolf's Run_  since the Reyes-Tate memorial service.

They had just finished another movie night in the Den's theater room. Erica was cuddling with Isaac and Lydia on a couch, and looked around at her pack who were all in similar positions on their own couches: Derek and Cora; Malia and Allison; Aiden and Kira; John and Melissa; Sarah and Peter; Ethan and Boyd; Danny and Jackson; Scott and Stiles all were content and happy after watching a comedy that Stiles had selected. Most had fallen asleep, after the grueling day of training,

Erica loved moments like this; surrounded by her new family safe and happy. Isaac, who had become taken his role of her big brother to heart, was holding her and Lydia had fallen asleep lying on Erica's lap. She didn't want this moment to end. She wanted it to always be this way.

But she knew it couldn't, not with the threat of the Thorne's over their heads. They had not struck lately and that made Erica nervous. She knew they had not given up, maybe their reasons for fighting her pack had changed from obtaining she-wolves to vengeance, but she knew they had not left. She would not let a pack that killed any of her pack members go on unpunished.

When the end credits started, Derek got up from his seat next to his sleeping sister and turned on the theater lights. This caused numerous groans and growls to sound from the awakened pack members and quite a few pillows to be flung in his direction.

Erica buried her face in Isaac's chest to protect her eyes at the sudden light. "Mean Alpha." She grumbled.

"I was promised a pack meeting after the movie." Derek said. "The movie is over we need to talk."

Everyone grumbled and go up from their seats, moving the couches so that they were in a circle. Then rearranging their seating so everyone was now sitting with their mates.

Erica refused to leave her spot, even when she felt Lydia get up to join Aiden. Isaac shook her gently. "Puppy, my mates and I need this sofa, it's the only three seat-er."

Erica looked up and saw Allison and Scott standing over her and beyond them she could see Derek sitting alone with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at her and Isaac.

She sighed and hoisted her self up, and walked towards her mate. She sat down next to him and she put his arm around her. "Well, what do we need to talk about?" She asked as everyone settled in.

"Lifting the lockdown." Derek responded.

Erica sat up straighter. She did not like the idea of her pack leaving the compound and being vulnerable. "I vote no. Pack is safer here."

Stiles spoke up. "Puppy, its not practical. Most of us have missed the last few weeks of lectures, and submitting our assignments via- email. You haven't even looked at your schoolwork. We can't let the Thorne threat ruin our academic lives. Let alone what it has done to Sarah and Derek's careers."

"I agree." Lydia said. "As much as I love all this time we have been spending together, we can't stay on lockdown indefinitely."

"We can't hide forever." Malia added. "It we have to fight we fight, but we cannot hide and we cannot bring our lives to a stop."

Erica saw their point. But still wasn't a fan. "No one goes anywhere alone." She said, "And we all come back here at nightfall, and lockdown the property."

"I think we all can agree to that." Derek said.

Everyone else nodded their heads at this.

"Most of us go to school at Hale College, so the buddy system shouldn't be a problem." Cora added. "But I'm worried about Derek, Erica, Sarah, John and Melissa. They don't spend the days with pack members."

"I have a uniform on Melissa while she is at work." John told the group. "And I am always armed. Neither of us is ever alone during the day."

"I think a few pack members can come look in on you between classes, just to be sure you are okay." Derek said, looking at the college aged pack members. They all nodded in agreement. "and as for Peter, he can come to work with me." Derek said.

"Peter would prefer spending the days making sure his mate is safe thank you very much." Peter said with a glare to Derek.

"His mate will be fine without him." Sarah said. "She just got a new job and will not have it ruined by having Peter follow her around."

"New job? Where?" Lydia asked.

"I'm going to teach again. High School History*, I was supposed to start as a replacement for Mr. Yukimura on Monday but took a few personal days." Sarah said. "So I guess that solves your question on Erica and I being alone."

Erica smiled. "That solves that, as long as neither of us leaves the school without the other and we check up on one another every hour or so we should be fine." Then she turned to Kira. "By the way, I'm sorry again for your parents leaving town."

Kira shrugged it off. "It's safer for them. They'll come back to visit, but mom was right. This is the path I chose; it's not her path, or his. She's taught me all she can, now it's all up to me now."

After a second of silence, Derek spoke. "So it's settled then. We try to resume our daily lives as best we can. Everyone will be on the buddy system. I want everyone to text me each hour to let me know you are okay. And Peter is coming to work with me. I want everyone back here before sundown each night and we will run a patrol and lockdown the property. Any objections?"

The only objection came from Peter, "I'm a grown man, I do not need to be babysat by my nephew."

"Think of it as you babysitting each other Peter." Malia said. "They know my scent, they know I'm a born Hale. It stands to reason if they want she-wolves they will go after any male relative Cora, Erica and I have. Erica has no wolf relatives, and you and Derek are the last two Hale men. Derek also has a big target on him because he is the alpha, if they kill him they will weaken us and we all will be easily eliminated."

Peter looked thoughtful at this. "You are a brilliant strategist 'Lia. How lucky we are to have a wolf with a talent for battle strategy in the pack." He said before turning his head towards Derek. "Fine nephew, we will babysit each other."

* * *

Going back to school went relatively smoothly. No one bothered her; mostly if someone talked to her it was to express their sympathy about her parents' death. Her and Sarah arrived at the school early because Sarah had some prep work to complete before her first class. Erica sat in the history classroom with Sarah while she went over the notes left by Mr. Yukimura and the substitute teachers. Mr. Yukimura had left a packet of work that she had missed, so she spent her time starting on that, imagining all her teachers had similar packets waiting for her.

By lunchtime Erica had large packets of missed Advanced Biology, Advanced French, and English work to add to the history she had to do, and she still had to attend History, Economics and Physics, not to mention all the work she missed in Calculus at Hale College. So she spent her lunch break in the guidance office. She usually saw Ms. Morell as a guidance counselor, but her Dr. Deaton and Braeden were still in hiding, so Ms. Morell's colleagues helped Erica. They helped her drop out of the class at Hale, due to her extenuating circumstances and were going to replace it with a high school level math class. The vice-principal had to sign off on it before they could switch her classes so tomorrow morning they would have a new schedule for her.

It kind of upset her that's she had to drop the college class, her parents were really proud that she got high enough grades to take a college course each semester of her senior year, she didn't want to be more of a disappointment. But with all the time she missed there was no way she would be able to catch up with her high school work and her college work. And there was no guarantee she would not miss more school due to the coming war with the Thornes. She needed to work on getting her high school diploma, and keeping her pack alive. Getting college credit while still in high school did not seem all that important to her now.

She went through her afternoon like she did the first half of the day. Go to class, check on Sarah, send Derek a text saying she was okay, and repeat. Once last period rolled around, she did not know what to do, she did not have a class scheduled; usually she'd be on her way to the College. She supposed she could go home, but she did not want to make a pack member come get her and she defiantly did not want to leave Sarah alone. So she went to the library, found herself a table and began to work on all the assignments she missed.

She worked in silence for forty minutes until she stilled. She smelt wolves. Two wolves that were not pack and as she registered that they smelled similar to the Thornes she and Derek killed, they each took a seat on either side of her. Before she could fight them off, they each dug their claws into each of her thighs and arms effectively pinning her to the chair.

"Well hello to you too." She growled struggling, It hurt like hell to move but she'd be damned if she just sat there.

"Be quiet female. And don't make a scene. You wouldn't want us to kill all these humans would you?" The one on her right whispered in her ear.

She looked around. There was a freshman biology class at the computer banks, typing up a lab reports, a few seniors that had independent study were in the book stacks, and the librarian was a few feet away putting back returned books. The Thorne pack held humans and women in low regard, they would have no problem killing any of these people, and the only reason she was alive was because she was a female wolf. They had the upper hand, they caught her while her guard was down, so now she had to play along until she could escape their clutches.

"I don't know why you struggle so hard." The Thorne on her left whispered in her ear. "We would be rescuing you from that Hale pack. Look how horribly they treat you and your sisters. We've been watching, we see."

"They insist on you having names, make you work and get an education, make you leave the Den…" The one on the right said.

"…they make you associate with humans and non-wolves, make you fend for yourselves and not you or your sisters have a single pup." The one on the left finished. "Everyone knows that she-wolves only want to stay at the den and carry pups, and it's abusive to make them do anything more or less."

"That's bullshit you in-bred imbeciles. What you do is abusive." Erica said, and they dug their nails in harder. Her jeans were covered with her blood at this point and the pain was excruciating. She needed to hold on for a minute more, the library had begun to empty as they were talking to her, because the final bell would ring soon. She just had to bide her time until the librarian and the last two students were out of harms way before making her move.

"Look Nate, she speaks." The one on her right said. "Oh how I'd love to fuck that foul little mouth until it couldn't form words any longer."

"You and I both Frank. But Eddie said no sampling our new she-wolves until we kill their old pack."

Erica's eyes flashed, the thought of these clowns forcing themselves on her and her sisters after killing her pack filled her with a burning rage. Her own claws extended, and in one swift move she freed her arms and dug her claws in to the back of each of their necks.

"Frank, Nate get your claws off me now before I snap your necks." She threatened.

"You wouldn't not in front of the humans." Franks said.

"What humans?" She smiled as the final bell rang and they last two students left the library, and the librarian began to grab her purse.. "They ones that left while you idiots were running your mouths?"

"Erica sweetie." The librarian yelled from her desk. "I know you have a lot of work to finish and would like to stay late, but I have an appointment. Would you mind locking the doors with the spare keys when you are done?" She said jingling the keys and placing them on the counter. "You can bring them back in the morning."

"Of course Mrs. Stevenson." Erica responded with a smile. "These two are just going to help me finish theses next few pages of my economics work and I'll pack up." Erica lied. "Right boys?"

Erica nodded their heads for them using her claws as leverage.

Mrs. Stevenson smiled. "Alright. You have a goodnight." She said leaving.

"Ah, that's more like it. Just us wolves." Erica said. "Now remove your claws from my thighs."

They did. And extracted her claws from their necks "Bitch, we are gonna make it hurt when we finally get to fuck you." Frank spat, rubbing the back of his neck.

Erica wanted to lunge and kill, but she was out numbered and worried that Sarah or the rest of the pack was in danger. Through the pack bond, she felt twinges of worry, fear and anger from each wolf pack member. The Thornes had made more then one appearance today, but they timed them to happen at the same time, so even if Derek felt the danger he would be unable to sense where the danger was or who was in the most danger. For in-bred imbeciles they were smart.

She used her ability as alpha female to tug at her link with Sarah. If Sarah were not being attacked the tug would lead her to where Erica was. As she did that, she flashed her eyes at the Thornes, certain that the threat they were posing would cause them to appear red.

"A female alpha?" Nate said. "Eddie said females could never be alphas."

"It's a trick, you know what Eddie said, Hale has abused them so much, these bitches will be willful and try to trick us." Frank said.

Erica had had it with Frank. She had it with his entire pack but he just would not shut up, so she lunged herself towards him and snapped his neck before he or Nate could blink. When she ended Frank, she heard grieved howls sound in the distance, howls not from her pack.

She let the body drop to the floor and turned slowly to Nate. Who himself was lunging towards her, fully shifted and eyes glowing yellow. Before Erica could defend herself a wail sounded. The wail brought Nate to his knees and blood began to pour from his ears and mouth.

_Banshee. Sarah. Killing to protect._

Erica looked over towards the entrance to the library, as Sarah was lowering her hands and closing her mouth. Nate lay on the floor, choking on his blood and Sarah's eyes were fixated on the sight.

Erica ran to her pack mate and embraced her. "Thank you."

It took twenty minutes for Derek and Peter to arrive, they had already been on their way once they sensed their mates and pack were in danger, and another ten for the rest of the pack to arrive. Lydia and Peter ended up comforting Sarah, as Erica told Cora and Derek exactly what happened and the others cleaned the room of blood and took the bodies out to the wooded area by the lacrosse fields to burn.

When the bodies were burnt and all trace of what happened was removed, it was almost sundown. Everyone began to make their way to  _Wolf's Run_ , and Erica gathered up her things and locked the library doors.

Derek stayed behind with her. "I'm proud of you." He said as they walked out of the building hand-in-hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Worried about Sarah. She was kinda freaked."

"She'll be fine. She understands who those wolves are, and knows what they did and will try to do." He told her while opening the passenger side door for her.

"What else happened today?" She asked while getting in the car. "Earlier I felt worry, fear and anger from all the wolves."

Derek made his way to the driver's side and climbed in. "Toward the end of the day, while everyone was leaving campus as a group about fifteen Thornes surrounded everyone on the quad. They left suddenly when howls sounded; I'm assuming that was exactly when you killed the first one." He said starting the car.

"Wouldn't that just anger them? Give them more reason to attack?"

Derek began driving towards  _Wolf's Run,_ he tensed and Erica sensed he didn't like what he was about to say. "Cora said they were taunting them about the one we were unable to protect, that they killed someone that would hurt our pack already. And they would bring the final battle to us soon."

"Who are we missing? The Deatons are in hiding. The Yukimuras are gone. John and Melissa are oaky." Erica said. "Right?"

"Yes." Derek said lying on the gas pedal with more force. "I talked to Alan yesterday, he has Braeden and Morell at a safe house, and was on his way back with some research that would help our pack in the battle. He should be back in town tomorrow night. John and Melissa are okay and Kira's parents are safely in their new home. What are we missing?"

She snatched his phone from its place in the cup holder and opened the home security app. She began to take attendance as she watched all her pack members enter the gates of their home and either begin patrols, prepare for the nightly lockdown or start dinner. "No one! Everyone else is securely at home!" she said.

They both let out a growl at the same time. "Der?" she asked as they neared the edge of town. She grabbed for his hand. He gave it to her, managing to steer with his left. "We all are going to make it out of this alive aren't we?"

He glanced over to her. "Our pack is strong, we are strong, and we can beat them."

She nodded and they spent the next few moments in silence.

When they pulled into the driveway, the gate shut and locked behind them and she saw the sizzle of electricity pass through it. Allison was at the gate, and threw a bottle of mountain ash down before getting on her four-wheeler and following Derek's car up the driveway.

They parked at the garage, and Malia was waiting for them. "Patrols just finished. Everything is secure, and everyone is inside." She told them. Erica made her way inside and started setting the table for dinner as Derek, Cora and Malia discussed patrols and the lockdown procedures.

It wasn't until everyone was sitting down for the evening meal an hour later that Erica realized that Derek had avoided answering her earlier question about the whole pack making out of this coming war alive. She stared down the table at him, and clutched her triskele necklace tightly. He believed their pack could win this war, but did not think they would all live. She observed him and saw the sadness in his eyes. This moment could be one of the last the pack was whole.

She wanted to howl and cry at the realization, but did not. She would not voice her fears, just like Derek did not voice his to her earlier. They were the alpha-pair. They had to be strong for their pack. They could not be seen doubting that they pack would survive and thrive.

* * *

Hours later, they were in the movie room, participating in another movie night. This time the movie was chosen by Lydia who insisted they all needed to watch  _The Notebook_  again. Aiden and Jackson (who dated Lydia in high school) looked like they would rather tear their own eyes out than watch the film again; so naturally everyone else agreed to watch it if only to make them uncomfortable.

They were halfway through the film when the alarm sounded. Derek stopped the movie and queued up the security cameras on the theater screen. About twenty men were standing at the front gate. All had glowing blue eyes except for the one at the front.

"Hello Hale." The alpha said. "I'm Edward Thorne."

Derek offered no response.

"Don't be rude Hale. Your security camera is trained on me, I know your fancy technology allows you to see and hear me perfectly while you sit in your big house hiding like a coward." Edward Throne said.

Derek took a deep breath, trying not to shift.

"Don't rise to the bait Derek." Cora said. "Don't give him the satisfaction."

Derek nodded, and stayed silent.

"Fine, Coward. You don't have to talk. I brought a gift for you. You know a 'enjoy your last days on earth' gift. I can't wait to kill the rest of your pack, wolves and non-wolves alike." He said with a smile. "After you are all dead we will fuck your she-wolves until they forget they had a pack before us and take over this pretty compound as our new home." He then turned to his pack. "Doesn't that sound wonderful brothers?"

The wolves behind him cheered and three of them came foreword carrying a human-shaped sack. "Throw it over the gate, we will let Hale unwrap his present without us looking."

They threw it over the gate and began to leave, one by one howling happily into the night.

Their alpha was the last to leave but not before saying. "Sleep tight Hale."

The wolves and Kira quickly ran towards the front gate using their enhanced speed. They were all worried on who the body that was thrown over the gate could be. The mountain ash did not deflect it meaning the body was either non-supernatural or dead.

Kira and Scott were the first to make it to the body and they unwrapped it. Kira let out a gasp and Scott began to cry.

"No. You can't be dead." Scott said. "You can't be dead."

As they all drew closer they all howled and cried. Derek made his way to kneel by Scott and let out a roar.

_Pack Emmisary. Friend. Dead. Hale Pack Grieves._

Erica began to tear up too.

"I'm so sorry Alan." Derek whispered. "I'm so sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> *yeah in the show she teaches Biology, but for this story I changed it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

The wolves of her pack continued to howl as Kira explained who the body was to the Banshees and Humans of the pack when they finally arrived at the gate. Mellissa ran to Scott and embraced him. Alan Deaton had been a mentor to Scott long before he was a wolf so he was taking the death the worst. Erica could feel the grief of the whole pack at losing a member, but Scott and Derek's grief was what kept her howling and crying.

Her mate felt like a failure as an alpha. Unable to protect the people close to his pack; Unable to keep his mother's close friend alive. Alan Deaton was more than an Emissary, his family had fought beside and helped guide the Hale Pack for generations Derek considered him family. Her mate and alpha was emotionally damaged, feeling almost exactly how she felt when she watched her home and parents burn.

The howling quieted down after a moment, and the Sheriff told Derek he would have to call this in, and everyone had to go inside, just him and Derek needed to be here when his deputies and the crime scene people arrived. Erica did not want to leave Derek's side.

So she stayed with him, holding his hand as the gates opened and the Sheriff's department processed the scene. The story was very close to the truth: Alan had left town, they weren't worried about his safety until the property alarm sounded and they discovered his corpse had been thrown over the gates of  _Wolf's Run_. This time Erica did the talking for Derek, he was in shock, he had tried and failed to tell the story himself so she did.

After the deputies left, and the scene was clear the Sheriff told them that the investigation would start officially after the autopsy in the morning, and he had his deputies working through the night tracking Deaton's travels and trying to get in touch with his daughter and sister.

If at all possible, Erica's heart sank more. Were Braeden and her aunt dead as well?

* * *

The Thornes had left the pack alone in the next few days, so the pack resumed the routine of school and work. The Sheriff had been able to track down Braeden and Ms. Morell the day after Deaton's murder. The investigation was still pending.

Erica hoped to have a dead Thorne to hand over to the Sheriff soon, so he could solve the murder officially. Alan Deaton did not deserve to be reduced to some case file lying in the unsolved pile.

His funeral was held in Beacon Hills Cemetery, three days after they were delivered his body. Besides Morell and Braeden at the front, the only others in attendance were the pack and Deaton's partner in the animal clinic.

* * *

After the funeral, Braeden insisted on meeting the pack at  _Wolf's Run_ , while her aunt sorted out her father's estate. She insisted on speaking with Derek and Erica in his study alone.

"My aunt and I are leaving Beacon Hills. She does not see The Hale Pack as her pack; her pack was the Deucalion's. She refuses to die in a war for wolves she is not loyal to. I have to go where she goes until I'm eighteen." Braeden said with sad eyes. "Dad cared for this pack, and the history and bond our families shared, I want to honor it one day."

Derek hugged Braeden, who was barely holding herself back from tears. "I understand Bray, we'll miss you but we want you safe first. Listen to your aunt, finish your training…live." He said

Braeden gave him a sad smile. "I'll be back Derek. We all will survive this and I will come back. My father made a promise to advise your mother and then you, I vow to come back and do the same." She said. "My place is with the Hale Pack as Emissary; like my father was, like his father, and his mother were. But until I can come back here, don't hesitate to call me if you need help."

Derek nodded.

Braeden began to leave but then stopped. "Wait, they found this hidden in his shoe." She said pulling out a small scroll and handing it to Derek. "I can only assume that is why he was coming back to Beacon Hills."

Derek opened the scroll. "That's not possible. Men in my family can't do this."

"But you still carry the ability in your DNA, you just have to tap into that innate power. You won't shift into a full wolf, I asked my aunt about it." She said. "It will be more like Peter's alpha form. Not appealing to look at, and certainly not as powerful as your mother in her wolf form, but you, and all your wolves will be significantly stronger if you can complete that ritual."

Derek looked at the paper in wonder. "This would give us a fighting chance against them...Thank you." He said hugging Braeden again, and when he let her go Erica hugged her as well.

Braeden then left the study; the pack was waiting outside the door, having listened in on the conversation. They all hugged her and said their goodbyes.

The pack watched from the porch as their friend, and future Emissary sped down the drive way and out the gate on her motorcycle. That was the last time anyone from the Hale Pack would see Braeden Deaton for a long time.

She had left them with a gift. The scroll her father died trying to deliver to Derek. The scroll would allow him to shift into a form more animal than human; more powerful than his current wolf form. As alpha, that power would flow through his pack, making them all stronger.

"When are you doing the ritual Derek?" Peter said. "What do you have to do?"

"We're not." He said.

"Why the hell not?" Erica said, suddenly angry. "We need this Derek. This could help us survive. If we don't who knows how many of us will die in this battle!"

Cora, equally as angry snatched the paper from Derek's hands. "I see no problem with any of this…a few herbs, a few prayers, yeah, the nudity under the moonlight stuff is weird but understandable nothing should be between you and mother moon when asking for a gift like this…oh, well that could be a problem."

"What?" Peter said steeling the scroll from his niece and reading it. "You two are idiots… 'the sacrifice of a mate or family member' is not what you think it means."

"It isn't? Because it reads that I have to kill Erica." Derek growled. "So it's not happening.

"You're an idiot. Obviously neither of you were listening during werewolf 101." Malia told them, managing to use all the Hale sass and sarcasm and leaving no doubt she was Peter's daughter. "Which is sad because you knew what you were from birth."

"Do enlighten us dear cousin…" Cora fired back.

"A sacrifice does not mean death, it means the willful giving of blood." Malia told her. "I don't think Erica will have much of a problem giving blood for the ritual."

"No, she won't." Erica responded, before turning to Peter who still had the scroll. "When is the earliest we can do this?"

"Tonight. We don't need the moon in a certain phase, but I suggest we wait until tomorrow night, I need time to hunt down a few of these herbs."

"Fine. Tomorrow night it is." She said staring at Derek. "You are doing it Derek. If sacrificing some blood is what it takes for us all to come out of this alive then sign me up."

With that she marched into the house up to her room.

"Did Puppy just alpha order the alpha?" Stiles said.

"Shut up Stiles." Derek growled, before she heard him follow her.

Erica heard the conversation pick up when Derek left but did not pay attention. She simply went to their room and sat on the bed until he arrived.

"Are we going to fight?" He asked when he entered the room

"Are you going to try to back out of our only shot of defeating and winning against these pricks?"

"No."

"Then we aren't going to fight. We are going to cuddle." She said lying down on he bed.

Derek did the same and wrapped her in his arms. "I like cuddling better." He whispered huskily in her ear.

Damn him. He knew how husky-voice affected her.

"You are pure evil Derek Hale."

He let out a low laugh before kissing her neck and placing his hands on her ass.

"I said cuddle, not a make out session."

He stopped kissing her and sighed placing his hand back to waist level.

"Derek." She said looking up at him. "Before things start getting worse, I want to say something."

"What?" He asked, his face turning from playful to serious quickly.

"Oh, don't put the SourWolf face on! It's nothing bad." She said lifting her hands to his face and cupping it, smiling. "I love you Derek."

His face broke out into the biggest smile she had ever seen and he leaned in giving her the most passionate kiss they ever shared. When he broke the kiss the smile was back on his face.

"I love you too Erica."

If she were a normal teen, and things hadn't been so deadly lately, and if they weren't about to get bloodier, she would call this the happiest moment of her life thus far; to tell someone she love him and be told the same thing back. But she wasn't a normal teen; she was a she-wolf, an alpha-mate and her pack was on the brink of war. People she and her mate cared for had died and she had the sinking feeling that more death was to come.

So she giggled and smiled and tried her best to enjoy the moment they shared, without worrying that it would be the last happy memory they had together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

The next day was spent prepping for the ritual. It was decided that it should take place at midnight because of that was when werewolves felt the moon the strongest.

" _And if we're going to have some sort of ancient pagan ritual with blood sacrifice and all I'd be pretty pissed if we didn't do it at midnight."_  Stiles had said.  _"It would be like Hollywood lied to me my whole life about these things."_

It was also decided that it would be only Derek and Erica performing the ritual. Actually, Derek had decided that. He was afraid that he would not be able to control his new form and end up attacking pack members, wolves and non-wolves alike. Everyone would be mountain ash-ed in the Den until Derek felt that he could control himself. The only reason Erica was allowed to be present was because he needed her blood, and she promised to wear his clothing so she smelt like him and his wolf form would recognize her.

Peter and Cora had spent the day gathering the appropriate herbs from various stores and from the supplies at  _Wolf's Run_. When the moon rose, Derek began mixing the herbs he had been at it for a few hours now. The herbs now were looking like a paste.

"Remind us again what you are doing with that?" Scott asked.

"The ritual is Erica adding her blood to the mixture, then Derek painting the mixture on himself while saying some…prayers…for lack of a better word." Cora explained. "It's one of the lesser involved rituals I've read about. No muss, no fuss…"

Derek glared at her. "Yeah, for you maybe. I'm the one that will go thorough the agony once its starts working. My body wasn't meant to shift like this, I'd imagine that a change like that will be pretty painful the first time."

Erica did a sharp intake of breath. "You never said that you'd have to go through pain."

"This is a pretty powerful request he's asking mother moon Erica." Peter said. "She doesn't just give power like this out for free. I had to lose the majority of my family, nearly die in a fire and loose most of my mind to get a new form to achieve my vengeance."

She looked to Derek. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Would it really be worth it to weaken Derek with that much suffering, just so they could maybe win against the Thornes?

He looked up from his herb mixing. "I'm doing this Erica. I know what's in store and I'm willing to suffer if it means the survival of you and our pack." He said with finality before returning to his work.

Erica stormed out of the study at his remarks and joined the rest of the pack in the living room.

"Silly Puppy." Isaac said scooping her up into a hug. "We're not going to let him suffer alone."

Erica hugged him back. "But how? He's already alpha-ordered you all to stay inside the Den and not break the mountain ash barrier." She asked.

"When the reformed evil do-er known as Peter is on your side, you can do anything." Stiles said from one of the couches.

" _What did you do?"_ said Derek with a growl.

Erica grinned and let go of Isaac in excitement.

" _Cora asked me to run some errands for her, after she called mini-Deaton for advice."_ Peter said, and Erica could hear the smile on his face. " _Then, again simply following orders from your second in command, Sarah and I spiked everyone's food with a helpful elixir this evening."_

"We are all temporarily linked." Lydia said from her seat in an armchair. "When Derek performs the ritual tonight, we will all experience a bit of the pain."

" _Not much_." Cora added from the study. " _You'll still experience the most of it. But this way it won't weaken you completely, we'll all share in the burden."_

" _You did what!"_  Derek yelled.

"Chill out Der. Everyone knew about it, except for you and Puppy." Malia said, entering the living room from the study, eyes rolling before turning to toward Erica and giving an apologetic look. "Sorry, we didn't let you know. You've been glued to his side most of the day, we didn't have a chance."

Erica shrugged. She found that she didn't care, she would have told them to go for it. "Anything to help him through it. I don't mind one bit."

"Because you  _love_ him." Kira said with a giggle.

Erica glared at her and noticed that the entire pack was giggling.

"And you call me the puppy when you act like children about a declaration of love?" She said looking around at her friends.

"For a powerful, alpha-mate, you look about as menacing as a puppy right now." Aiden told her.

"So adorable." Danny teased.

They all outright laughed until Derek entered the room moments later with the completed mixture. He sent a glare to the pack before turning to her. "Go change."

She looked down at her outfit. "What are you talking about? We agreed I'd wear your clothes. This is your v-neck, these are your sweatpants."

He sighed before taking off the shirt her was wearing (while some of the more juvenile members of the pack catcalled and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat) and handed it to her. "Erica, your supposed to smell like me, that shirt is fresh out of the wash."

Erica gulped, trying not to admire her mate so openly, but judging by the disgusted looks on some of the wolves' faces, they could already smell her reaction. "Yeah about that. I decided not to wear a dirty shirt. But you wore these sweatpants to bed last night, and they haven't been in a dirty clothes hamper, that has got to be okay enough?"

He simply continued his glare until she took the shirt. "I'll meet you outside." He said, flashing a smile to her she left the room to change in the guest bathroom. As she was changing she heard him say. " _Someone put up the barrier when she leaves the Den. And no one leaves this house or let's us back in until Erica and I both say I have control again got it?"_

There were mutters of agreement (and some sass) and Derek left. Erica changed the shirt to the one that Derek just took off, and tried her hardest not to think that her mate would be getting even  _more_  naked tonight. This was not the time for her overactive teenage wolf hormones to take control. This was a very important ritual, this would help the pack, and she just had to keep herself together long enough for her mate to complete it.

She took a deep breath and gave herself a pep talk.  _Okay Erica. It's Showtime. Just only look from the neck up and you'll be fine._

With that she left the house and met Derek outside. He held out his hand and they walked together to where they would perform the ritual.

* * *

"Isn't it a bit creepy to do this here?" She asked looking around at the Hale family mausoleum and then to the ruins of the old Hale House. The site was hard to get to, (accessed only by hiking trail) and was the farthest structure from the house. She could see why Derek chose the spot. It was set in one of the few clearings  _Wolf's Run_  had (aside from the large one where the Den and other structures were) and it was the only clearing on the property that was a safe distance from the rest of the pack.

"Maybe." He said, opening the jar of paste and holding it out to her. "Ready? It's almost time."

"Do I have to say something special?"

To this he smiled. "No, you're an ingredient. You don't say any thing." At her glare he explained more. "The final ingredient calls for the blood of relative or mate, freely sacrificed under the moonlight. So as long as you are sure about this just cut open your wrist and let it bleed in the jar until you heal."

She looked towards the moon, feeling its effects now; it was nearly midnight so they had to get started. She let her claws extend and used them to make a small incision on her right wrist, putting the bleeding wrist over the jar she looked at Derek, waiting for her wrist to heal.

After a minute, the blood stopped flowing and her wrist looked like it had never been touched at all. Derek closed the jar and shook it. The clear paste and her blood merged, and Derek shook the container until the mixture was clear again.

He then began to finish undressing and cover himself in the paste. Erica turned around for this, not trusting her hormones in this situation.

"Okay." He said from behind her. She could hear him still at it so she did not turn around. "Let's go over this one more time. If my new form starts to growl and come at you, what do you do?"

Erica sighed. They had gone over this so much today, she was tired of it. Her mate was a worrier. She didn't blame him for being that way, life had not been kind to his family, everything that could have gone wrong had until he became alpha. "Do not run, do not approach. Stay as still as possible, to show I am not a threat. Bare my neck to show that I am in your pack and you are my alpha and don't look you in the eyes. And try my hardest not to shift, because then you may see that as a threat or see my red-eyes and think I'm a rival alpha."

"Good." He said. "You can sit on the porch and watch. This might take awhile." He told her.

She turned around to look at him, and took her earlier advice of only looking at the neck up. "Is it safe for me to sit on the porch?"

"Yes. The porch is newly re-built. I was going to have the Den built here, where the old house was. But by the time I finished the porch I realized I could never build a home over the old home." He told her. "Plus it's more downwind than where you are standing now so the thick cloud of lust coming off you wont be as distracting." He said with a grin.

Mildly embarrassed, she smiled and, walked over to the porch to sit down. Derek then walked into the center of the clearing and looked up at the moon. He began to chant something in a language she was unfamiliar with for about ten minutes until her fell silent and closed his eyes.

She waited in silence for what felt like hours, but in reality was only thirty minutes. Just as she had begun to think that it wasn't going to work, the moonlight became brighter around Derek. The light lifted him off the ground a foot before letting him fall to the ground. When he hit the ground his body began to twitch, and Erica heard bones begin to break and reset.

It was then she began to feel the pain, and by the howls coming from the direction of the Den, the pack was feeling it too. She knew they were only feeling a fraction of what Derek was feeling, but that did little to comfort her as the pain intensified and she began to cry. She was worried for the humans and banshees in her pack, what if this was too intense for them? She was a wolf and she was in tears.

When she looked up, she saw her mate, on the ground. He let out a howl in agony as his body began to change from. He slowly began to look more animal than man. She was warned that this form would not look like a wolf would. He would look like as some of her pack members put it " _A cross between The Hulk and a wolf",_ and she could begin to see what they meant. Derek was as huge as a bear, all muscles, fur and large teeth. His howl was constant through the process, which was comforting because that was the only bit of her mate she recognized in the beast. Erica did not think ever think she would be terrified of her mate in his new form, but she was. The pain had stopped and the beast that used to be Derek was staring at her.

She felt a rush of power run through the pack. The only time she felt something similar to this was when Derek turned Sarah. But this felt…more powerful, so powerful it bled into her links with the entire pack. She felt the power entwine itself with the pack-link, and would be surprised if the rest of them, even non-wolves could not hear it.

In the distance she heard the howls of her packmates.

_We're fine._

_We feel it._

_Is alpha okay?_

She wanted to respond, but did not want to do so until she was certain Derek knew who she was again. Her heart beat fast as he approached the porch. She knew she had to stay as still as possible, so she slowly bared her neck and tried her best to keep still. He showed more of his teeth as she bared her neck, and she couldn't help but remember the last time she was this freighted of him; the night she was turned.

Not that long ago she had been scared of the monster that bit her in the hospital and took her to his home, then later told her she was his mate. Now she was in love with the man, and he did not recognize her and would kill her if she gave one wrong move.

Derek inhaled deeply when he got near her, and soon he was in front of her, nose to her neck. She knew she was in the clear when the beasts tongue swiped across her face, and he stepped back giving another howl.

_I'm fine._

Erica let out a smile. "Der? Can I move now? Do you know me?"

He nodded his head.

"Are you going to practice shifting between forms now?"

Another nod.

She spent the next hour watching as her mate practiced shifting between his three forms; human, the werewolf, and werewolf-on-steroids. After that he put his pants back on (to which Erica let out a sigh of relief) and held out his hand for her.

She took it and they began to walk back to the Den. "So? What do you think?"

"It's great. You feel that power right? It's like we added ten adult wolves to our pack at once." He told her. "But shifting into the new form is still difficult. I don't know if I should fight in that form in a battle. I'm not used to it. The power will still flow through our pack, but the wolf form that came with it might be a hindrance to us if the fight is coming soon."

"Plus it hurts." She said.

"Well, yeah. Now I understand why Cora and Malia prefer to use their ordinary wolf form. You don't have to break bones just to turn. If I thought shifting into the new form would help us in a fight, I would. But I don't think it would."

Erica smiled at him. "I know. You'd do anything to protect us. You are a good alpha."

He stopped them. "You think so?"

Erica was confused, the question sounded so haunted and unsure; it was a tone of voice she never thought to hear from her mate. "Yeah, why?"

He looked sad. "I was never supposed to be an alpha. The most I expected to be was Laura's second. Mom was supposed to be alpha and Laura would take over when she passed. But it didn't work that way, Mom and Laura are both gone and I'm just trying to keep my pack alive. I have no clue what I'm doing." He admitted. Leaning against a tree. "At first I only started to turn wolves to protect Cora. There couldn't be a pack with just the two of us. I wanted to rebuild our strength, so I took Scott in, and then gave the bite to Stiles. The next thing I know I'm turning college kids left and right, they are forming mate bonds, friendship bonds, and getting under my skin and I start to love them as if they were always apart of my family…But I don't I deserve to be followed, to be their alpha. I couldn't protect the people that my pack cares for: your parents, my cousin's dad, and a man who was one of my mother's best friends. And soon we go to war against this other pack, and I know there is a possibility I might lose some of you…I feel like there is something more I should be doing."

"You mean besides what you have already done?" Erica asked embracing him. "You built your pack a fortress so they can be safe from any threat, you may not be the most warm individual we know how much you love and care for us, you train us so we can be better prepared for what might happen, and you just endured unbearable pain, to give us a better chance of survival. How are those actions of a man undeserving of being alpha?"

He let out a sigh, but didn't say anything back, just tightened his hold on her. "Each and everyone of us would follow where ever you lead. And if you don't know where to go, you have plenty of people ready to voice their opinions on the matter. You are not alone Derek. We all are willing to do our part to keep us safe, we just don't need you doubting yourself right before we begin a war."

There were another few minutes of silence. "You're right." He said before breaking the hug and grabbing her hand. "Let's go let our pack out of the Den."

* * *

The next afternoon, after lunch was over the entire pack was sitting around the dining room table. Everyone had recovered from sharing Derek's pain after a good night's sleep except Derek, who was still healing. So he sat back and let his sister and cousin help him go over the battle plans they spent the morning on.

"We're going to do this just outside the back gate of our property." Cora told the group. "Lydia, Sarah and Allison, you are going to make perches on the top of the wall and make sure no one gets close to the gate, also you will cover John and Kira."

"Kira, John I want you both on ATVs just outside the back gate. Kira you can do your sword thing if you have too, but mostly I want you and John helping guard the gate and retrieving any of the seriously injured pack members, if that happens. Mellissa will set up just inside the gate ready to treat any serious injuries, and armed with herbs to speed up healing so any injured wolves can join the fight again."

"Derek will be at front, Erica at his side. Everyone will fight in the following pairs: Cora and myself, Scott and Stiles, Isaac and Boyd, Jackson and Danny, and Ethan and Aiden." Malia said. "Those are the pairs we all fight the best in, so that is how we will fight."

"What about me?" Peter asked. "We both know that Derek and I will be the biggest targets once they get a whiff of you and Cora."

"We need you to help Cora and Malia." Derek said. "I need the three of you fighting together. You are the bait. Malia has a plan."

Everyone looked confused. But Malia, Derek and Cora grinned.

Peter was the first to catch on and grinned too. "That is devious my dear." Erica could have sworn that Malia brightened at the "praise" Peter had given her.

The rest of the pack just stared at the Hale family members until someone finally said what they all were thinking.

"Could you all please stop with your devious, secret, and attractive smirks and let us all in on this plan?" Stiles asked.

"They won't be visible initially." Derek said. "So the Thorne's will go after Peter, thinking he is alone, and knowing he is the father of one of the females they want. Malia and Cora will be in the trees. Peter will draw some of the stupider Thorne's away from the majority of the fighting.

At this Boyd smiled. "And you two have been practicing jumping and shifting…"

"Yep." Malia grinned. "We're quite good at it now. We will jump from the trees and by the time we hit the ground we will be in our four-legged form ready to tear some limbs from bodies."

"If these guys weren't evil, I would feel bad for them. But they are the evilest, so I love it." Erica said.

"I guess the evil-genius apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Jackson said but held up his hands when Boyd and Malia shifted and Kira hit him. "I joke out of love guys!" He said. "No offense! It was a compliment!"

After that was settled. Derek went over the rest of the plan, and gave everyone the next few hours off ordering them all to rest. "This all ends tonight. We will get everyone into position at seven sharp, and then lure or enemy to us."

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Explicit language, mentions of potential nonconsensual sex, Death, major injury of good guys and character death of good guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

They knew where the Thornes had been camping out. So as the pack was getting ready for battle at  _Wolf's Run_ , Erica, Cora and Malia went to the abandoned train depot that the Thorne Pack had made their own.

"We're not going in." Cora said. Erica stood to her left and Malia stood to her right. They all stayed in their human form for now. The adrenaline was pumping through Erica's veins. They had to lure them to the back gate of  _Wolf's Run_  and let the battle begin, but she was afraid what would happen if the Thorne's got their hands on them before they made it the two mile run to where her pack was. Luckily, the three of them were the fastest runners of the pack, but there was always the possibility that the Thorne's had fast runners.

"Of course not." Malia spat. "We howl. Ready?"

They all shared a look, and grabbed each other's hands before howling in unison. It took moments for three Thorne's to exit the building and spot them. One of them was the alpha that had taunted Derek on the security system.

"Eddie… Let's quit playing theses games…" Erica said trying to sound unaffected by the men spilling out of the building.

"If you want us boys…"Cora said next.

"…Then you'll have to come and get us." Malia finished. As soon as Malia finished speaking the three she-wolves ran towards home.

"Are they following us?" Erica asked, afraid to look back.

"Yes, all of them." Cora told her.

"Do you think they have your scents down?" She asked.

"Yep." Malia said. "If they didn't before they do now."

 _We are coming._ Erica howled, willing herself to run faster.

 _And bringing guests._ Malia added.

Her mate and pack-brothers responded in unison.  _We're ready._

When they were nearly at  _Wolf's Run_ , Erica began to slow down a bit as Malia and Cora sped up. She needed to buy them time to get into position and mask their scents.

"Look boys! Blondie is moving slow." Came from behind her. "Knew she'd be the easiest to catch!"

Erica smirked as she made it to the clearing where her pack was all in position. She ran to her mate's side and shifted, making sure her eyes glowed. The Thorne's arrived at the clearing and saw what waited for them. Her pack brothers were shifted a mixture of angry blue and yellow eyes, Allison was ready with her arrows, Lydia and Sarah were ready to use their voices to slow down the large pack (and if that failed they had guns with wolfsbane bullets), John stood by the gate armed to the teeth, and Kira stood next to him, her sword strapped to her back, foxfire coming from her fingertips and her eyes glowing orange.

"Brought you a present my love." She said to Derek. She stood on his left, Peter stood to his right. She saw a few of the Thorne's sniff the air and focus on Derek and Peter. They were going to take the bait. At this point Derek shifted too, and the Thorne pack backed up at seeing alpha-mate pair side by side. They Thornes who had not shifted already did so immediately.

Eddie smiled and looked around. "Where did the other two go?"

"They're around. My name is Derek Hale. I'll lead my pack in exterminating your pack from existence this evening."

"Edward Thorne. The one that will be fucking your little mate over your corpse."

Derek snorted and looked to her. "Do you want to respond to that nonsense?"

"No." She said looking at the pack in front of her. "Can we kill them now Der?"

"But darling, the foreplay is the best part." A Thorne told her.

"Like you in-bred rapists know about foreplay." She said.

From behind her she heard a few pack brothers say 'oh snap'.

The Thornes growled at her and Eddie spoke. "Where are my other she wolves, this one talks too much."

Her pack brothers growled at Eddie calling the she-wolves 'my she-wolves'. Derek just shook his head. "I don't see how the whereabouts of my sister or my cousin matter to you."

"I can't smell them anymore Eddie." Another Thorne said.

"Where are they?" He asked, getting angry. This was another bonus of Cora and Malia disappearing. It distracted the Thornes and gave her pack time to size up the opponents before battle.

"Maybe they don't understand what you said dear nephew." Peter told Derek. "You just referred to you sister, your cousin and your mate as three separate individuals. It must be boggling their little minds."

" _Double snap. I'd never thought I say this."_  Stiles whispered.  _"But having Peter back is great."_

" _I know."_  Scott whispered back.  _"When he's on your side he is not that bad."_

"You know that having them mask their scents wont make a difference once we kill you all. The blonde bitch will give away their hiding place soon after she's the only living one." Eddie told them.

Derek raised his eyebrows at Eddie. "You really don't have a clue how stubborn the females in my pack can be, my mate would never tell you anything she didn't want to tell you. You have no idea what the Hale pack has historically been, otherwise you would be so stupid as to attack us."

"Your pack was known by my father as a bunch of pussy boys who let their women run the show and are too chummy with humans. Not much has changed, now you just have any army of bitten wolves and cast offs pretending to be family."

Her brothers growled at this and Derek showed his teeth. They all knew the truth. They were a family, not by blood but a family and a pack. They all had a stronger bond than the Thorne pack did.

Erica had enough of the verbal spar match so she said the line that Derek said would defiantly start the battle. "He's talks to much, kind of like Frank did before I snapped his neck." She said with a smile.

This got the Thornes lunging toward them. Which was the intent. Derek wanted them to make the first move towards the pack. As soon as they did Allison started firing arrows, Lydia and Sarah began to throw around some of them and Peter went to the side drawing four Thornes after him and into Malia and Cora's trap.

"Showtime brothers." Erica said as a Thorne approached her and Eddie went for Derek. She heard the screams of surprise as Cora and Malia sprung from the trees and they joined Peter in killing the Thornes that followed him. " _The she-wolves can become wolves."_  One of them screamed as Malia lunged for his throat.

Even with the extra power they had been given due to Derek going through the ritual they were evenly matched with the Thornes. Malia, Cora and Peter hand only managed to kill the four they had because of an ambush. But as soon as Peter, Malia (in her grey wolf form) and Cora (in her black wolf form) joined them in the clearing the Hale Pack started to gain momentum.

Erica was able to keep track through the pack link as she fought her opponent. The death of four of their own got the Thornes fighting harder, seriously injuring Scott, Isaac, Boyd, Danny and Jackson in the next hour. John and Kira were able to get them to Melissa and she treated them, using herbs to help them heal as quickly as she could. They were able to kill five more Thornes, bringing their number down from twenty-one to twelve. At this point all the injuries were easily healed aside from Scott's who was in a small coma but alive; this left Stiles alone on the battlefield so he joined up with Peter, Malia and his mate. The battle was going well for the most part, Hales outnumbered Thornes and she was cautiously optimistic that they would all get out of this alive.

She shouldn't have thought that.

Sarah and Lydia had ceased their offensive wailing abruptly, and Erica did not notice until they both let out a wail that her wolf could translate. She thought it odd, as they had not been wailing at the deaths of the Thorne Pack members, so why would they start now? She had ever only heard them wail when someone close to the pack was to be killed inside Beacon Hills.

_Death to two of our own._

The whole pack momentarily froze at this.

"No!" Derek roared.

"Bad news Hale?" She heard Eddie ask.

When Derek ignored him and they continued to fight, he let out a roar of his own, signaling something to his pack. Suddenly the Thornes all went towards Peter, Malia, Cora and Stiles, Some of them pulling out vials and syringes.

"Watch out! It's mistletoe! Laced with wolfsbane" Lydia yelled from her perch, and she, and Sarah began throwing as many wolves they could from converging on the group. Erica did not know what mistletoe meant in wolf-lore, but knew nothing good would come from something that was mixed with wolfsbane. Based on the panic she sensed from her mate, it was bad.

One of the Thornes came close to sticking a syringe into Cora, but Stiles knocked it away wrestling with the man until Erica felt the link she had with Stiles begin to weaken. It was like the string that linked them was beginning to slowly unravel and break and Erica hated that feeling. Cora howled, feeling the loss of her mate and tore into the man's neck, guarding her mate's body until Kira came to get him.

Everyone continued to fight, even after hearing Melissa confirm what Erica, Derek and Cora already felt because of their link with Stiles. He was dying. They killed six more Thornes in their rage in the next thirty minutes but Danny, the Twins and Jackson were all soon were in coma's similar to Scott's.

Suddenly a Thorne got the drop on her and had pinned her, pulling a syringe out of his pocket. "Don't worry. It will only kill you if I give you the whole dose, this will just weaken you a bit." He told her and she struggled. Isaac was able to snap his neck before he stuck her with the needle, but her being in distress was enough to distract Derek for a fraction of a second.

That second was all it took for Eddie's second in command to snap Derek's neck.

Suddenly Erica felt the loss. She felt the link with him snap in half. One second he was there, the next he was gone and all she could feel was loss; a deep soul crushing loss.

 _He's dead._ She howled, making her way to the one who killed the man she loved, her mate, her alpha. What was left of the Hale Pack howled and followed her lead. Malia and Cora went after Eddie and Peter, Boyd and Isaac killed the other three Thornes within minutes.

Erica was filled with an intense rage. She did not feel this much pain when her parents died, this was much worse. Losing a pack-mate was horrible; losing her mate was nearly unbearable. It killed her inside when she saw that the one who killed Derek now had the red eyes of an alpha.

He did not deserve the Hale power. Only a Hale alpha did. This man would die for his sin and she would steal back the power that belonged to her pack. Perhaps she would let Cora make the Kill so a Hale could have the power and Erica could join Derek in death.

"Ladies! We can save them both!" Peter yelled, as she Cora and Malia pinned their prey and were in the process of beating them to a pulp. "We can bring back Derek and save Stiles. We need both of them alive for it!"

Erica was clawing at her mate's murderer and was about to slit his throat when Peter spoke. She had been beyond rational thought until his words triggered a memory of the conversation she overhead the day Derek turned Sarah. About how triggering a banshee would be beneficial to him and the pack. And then she remembered what Peter said when he came back to Beacon Hills and they found him at the family mausoleum.

" _I spent the past few months trying to find a way to bring her back like Lydia was able to bring me back. But it seems Laura never gave the bite to anyone so it's impossible."_

It was too good to be true, but she wanted to cling to hope that she could see Derek again so she did not kill the man, and took note that Cora and Malia had restrained themselves from killing Eddie as well.

"Pin them down and have Allison use tranquilizer arrows on them." She ordered, noticing that her voice took on the tone of an alpha.

As Peter, and Boyd took her captive from her and Allison shot the man with a tranquilizer before she repeated the action to a bloodied and bitten Eddie, she remembered something else.

" _If Derek were to be killed by a wolf, that wolf would steal his power and Cora wouldn't be able to inherit his position as alpha. You then would rise as alpha and be able to keep the pack together."_

She was the alpha now.

Once all her enemies were dead or unconscious she let out a breath, and walked over to her mate's corpse. She sat down next to him and began to cry.

"Derek. I can't do this without you." She whispered to him through her tears.

She had five pack members in comas, one on the brink of death, a dead mate and she was the only alpha her pack had. "I'll burn the dead Thornes." She told whoever was in earshot while whipping her eyes dry. "Take Stiles, Scott, Danny, Ethan, Aiden and Jackson to the Den and get them in bed. Take our guests to the sub-basement, chain them up and ash them in." She looked up and saw Peter, Isaac and Boyd nod, and walk toward the gate, relaying her instructions to her non-wolf pack-members.

She looked behind her and saw Malia and Cora (still in wolf form) approach her and Derek. They were both whimpering. Once they got to his body they began to nudge him with their snouts before shifting back to human form on either side of her. Erica, ignoring their nudity grabbed them both into a hug and the three Hale women wept clinging to each other for dear life.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

After a moment of crying, she let go of Cora and Malia, kissed Derek's forehead and stood up. She then began to bring every piece of Thorne she could find a put it into a pile. Cora and Malia helped her once they realized what she was doing.

They held hands and washed all trace of their enemy burn. The fire was still going a half hour later when Isaac, Boyd and Peter returned, and John followed them on an ATV that was attached to a cart. Boyd and Isaac handed Cora and Malia some clothes and they all watched as Peter and John loaded Derek's body onto the cart.

John gave them all a look of anguish and muttered  _"They're just kids."_  To Peter. Obviously unaware that he could be heard.

" _John. They are a pack. We are apart of that pack. We'll get through this together._ " Peter told him as they lifted Derek. " _I have an idea on how to save your son and my nephew. We will all be fine soon."_

" _What is a pack without a leader?"_ John asked. " _Derek is dead. My son is dying and my stepson is in a coma. I can't see how we'll be fine."_

" _We have a leader. Derek may be dead but his mate is an alpha now."_

" _Erica? She's just a kid."_ He said getting on to the ATV and starting it.

" _She is a wolf John. An alpha. A Hale. She is a lot stronger than she looks. All these kids are stronger than they look."_

The Sheriff nodded and began to drive off. Peter walked towards them. "Dad, where is he taking Derek?" Malia mumbled, her eyes on the flames her arms wrapped around her mate. Erica didn't think she noticed what she called Peter.

Peter's faced showed that he noticed. He looked like he wanted to be happy but could not given the circumstances. So he didn't comment on the fact she had called him Dad. "The mausoleum. We'll bury him in the morning."

"You said we can bring him back." Erica said.

"We can. He was prepared for this." He told her. "But first things first. I have some explanations to give, the three of you need to make some decisions about the future of this pack and we have to wake up our comatose pack members and save Stiles"

Erica nodded, he was right.

The last Throne had burned, so they were done here. "Stomp out this fire, find someone to ash the gate and then everyone needs to clean up themselves. Meet me in Derek's study in an hour." She said to the group. "We are on lockdown for the next few days, until we can figure this all out."

* * *

When she got to their bedroom she began to cry again. His scent dominated the space, even worse her scent mingled with his and she realized, that if they could not bring him back, his scent would fade until all that was left was her scent and memories of him.

She ran to the bathroom and hopped in the shower after stripping out of her bloodied clothing. She hoped that the sound of the running water, along with everyone else coping with the day's trauma would mask the sounds of her sobbing.

He was gone. How could Derek Hale be dead? How could a short second have been the difference between him standing next to her and him lying lifeless in his family's mausoleum?

She spent the next half hour alternating between washing and crying until she couldn't cry anymore until he was able to pull herself together. She left the shower and dried off, and dressed in the pajamas that Derek had left on the bathroom floor that morning, drawing strength from his scent.

She had to be strong. She was the alpha now. Her pack needed her and she needed her pack. They had to get through this crisis. The battle with the Thorne's was won, but the Hale Pack could still lose so much more. Another pack could decide to come while they are weak, while most of their wolves were unconscious or dying, when they heard that their alpha was an eighteen-year-old girl who had been a werewolf less than two months. They were vulnerable, and she would not lose another pack member just because she felt like a living ghost without Derek.

She left the room and went downstairs to his study, and sat in his desk chair.

Her resolve to be strong nearly faltered when she saw the picture of them he kept on his desk. It was taken during her eighteenth birthday party, and he had picked her up and had just finished twirling her in a circle when Kira snapped the picture. They were both smiling and looking into each other's eyes, obviously head over heels in love with one another.

_We should have said it sooner…_

Thankfully before she could get more thoughtful her conscious packmates began to show up.

* * *

She sat in the study and looked to the room. Peter, Sarah, Allison, Malia, Boyd, and Cora were all present. John, Melissa, Isaac, Kira and Lydia had all opted to stay upstairs and monitor the unconscious packmembers.

"Their wounds have been cleaned and are healing well. Melissa is optimistic that they will wake on their own in a few hours." Cora reported. "Except for Stiles. She doesn't know what to do for him. He's alive but…I can barely feel our mating link anymore, it's like he's holding onto life by a thread."

Erica nodded her head.

"I called Braeden while we were all re-grouping." Allison said, surprising everyone. "I'm sorry if you think that goes over your head Alpha but someone had to fill her in and ask whether she knew if there is anyway to save someone if a banshee…or two has already predicted they won't live."

Erica raised her eyebrow at that entire speech. Being called Alpha, and the slight fear in Allison's eyes did not sit well with her. She then took a beat to realize they were all on edge, and not just because of the battle. They didn't know what to expect of her. People changed when they became Alpha's, and she had just lost her mate; they probably expected her to go on a rampage in her pain and abandon them.

"It's not a big deal Ali." Erica said, using the nickname she began to use when she was just a newly turned beta, and Allison started acting like her older sister. They needed to remember that she was still that Erica. She had just been through a lot, and had more power now. "What did she say?"

Allison let out a relived sigh. "Banshees typically can sense when someone in their area is about to die, and they can also feel where death has happened or will happen. All of these scenarios can cause them to wail. But most banshees don't associate with packs. Lydia and Sarah are part of this pack, so their senses have been honed in on death that connects to the people they care for: us. They wail because they sense the death or near death of someone close. It does not mean that those people will die necessarily, it means that at the very least they almost die."

"That's true." Lydia said. "I sense death and dying in a lot of places, but only really am able to pay attention to it when it has to the pack being in danger. And mom and I could not sense Deaton's death because they killed him outside of Beacon Hills."

"So, we can save Stiles?" Erica asked.

"In theory, yes. But Braeden doesn't know how." Allison answered.

Erica turned her head to Peter. "I assume you know how?"

He nodded. "An Alpha needs to draw his pain away until they give up the spark that makes them an alpha. That should help heal him. It's the only way I know of that could help him with the amount of that poison he was given." Peter said. "As it happens we have three alphas in the house…but heres the catch, the alpha has to willingly give up their spark. So we can't just make old Eddie heal Stiles."

"Either I have to do it, or one of us has to kill a Thorne and do it." Erica said. "That's what you meant when you said Malia, Cora and I needed to have a talk about the future of the pack. If I give up my spark, one of them will have to become the next Hale alpha."

"Yes."

She looked to Malia and Cora. "Well, I guess we will be having a talk after this. Then once we decide who is healing Stiles we will do it right away."

"You can't." He said. "Not right away. You'll only end up killing yourselves and him if you don't get some rest beforehand."

They all nodded.

"Will he survive the night?" Cora asked, sounding a bit broken.

Erica examined the link she had with Stiles. "He's steady for now. He's not getting worse."

Cora nodded, agreeing with the assessment. Staying steady was the best they could hope for in the circumstances.

"Now, about bringing back Derek." Erica said. "Explain how it would be possible to bring him back."

"Well how am I here?" Peter asked.

"Oh, Peter stop being so cryptic." Sarah said. "I can bring him back. Like how Lydia brought back Peter. Derek knew that he might die in this battle, apparently the Hale men like having an insurance policy. Having the last person you turn before your death be a banshee is that policy."

Peter cut in. "Actually turning anyone is enough, it just known to work better with banshees. When an alpha turns someone, they leave a piece of themselves, it helps strengthens the new pack member's link to the pack. When the next person is bitten that piece is transferred to them. Most wolves do not feel this piece, a banshee does. I was able to use the link that I still had with Lydia after my death as a beacon to guide me back to the land of the living. My mind was linked to hers until she was able to expel me from it."

"And why did this not work with Laura? Or Mom?" Cora said.

"Laura never gave the bite to anyone. I was hoping that there was a wolf out there being haunted by her, that didn't know what to do to bring her back, but nothing. Once I came back and explained how I was alive, and how I hoped to bring her back, Derek told me that she had always refused to give the bite to anyone, and was more focused on raising you and him. As for Talia, the last person she gave the bite to was locked in the basement with us when Kate Argent burned us."

"So Sarah, as a banshee, would innately know how to bring him back. How?" Boyd asked.

"I don't know. Ask Lydia." He said.

Lydia sighed. "I was haunted by Peter, you all know that. But he wasn't completely in charge of all the visions I had of him. We discussed this. I think some of the visions were from my subconscious, letting me know what I had to do to get him out of my mind. I don't remember everything I did, and the only witness to Peter's resurrection was Derek."

Sarah then took over. "Lydia and I think that once Derek is able to find his way back, in sprit and I sense it, I'll start getting visions of what I need to do. But I hope it happens soon. The next full moon is the one we need to resurrect him, or else I'm stuck with him in my mind for a year."

"As in the full moon that is in less than a week?" Erica said in a panic. "The one that will be your alpha's second experience with a full moon because she has only been a wolf for seven weeks. A moon she might not handle well, if her first experience is anything to judge by."

"You'll be fine. If not. Allison with tranquilize you, or Kira will shock you until we can resurrect Derek." Malia said. "But you have been getting the hang of being a wolf very quickly. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"It hasn't even been two months?" Peter asked confused. "And you're able to sit there calmly, with the power of an alpha running through your veins after all that has happened?" Peter sounded like he was in awe.

"Yes. I'm broken inside, but crying about it won't help us. This pack's safety is what matters." Erica said.

Peter stood up and walked away, Sarah ran after him.

" _What's wrong Peter?"_

" _She sounded exactly like Talia after my brother-in-law died. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. With my daughter, my niece and Erica in charge we will be fine."_

Erica wished she had the confidence in herself as a leader that Peter seemed to have in her. She dismissed everyone but Cora and Malia. Everyone went to go check on the comatose pack members or to give the prisoners another tranquilizer.

"I'm willing to give up my spark to save Stiles. When I do, one of you has to kill the man who killed Derek, bringing back the power to a Hale." She told them.

"Not me." Malia said firmly. "I'm a great lieutenant, a good helper. I am not a leader. If anything I'm a solider. I'm willing to kill the Thorne alpha and heal Stiles, but I won't keep any alpha powers."

"I will be the one to save my mate." Cora said. "I'm sorry Erica, I just was never meant to be an alpha. I'm a great number two; I'll be your number two. But I need to be the one that saves my mate."

"Plus can you imagine Stiles as an alpha-mate?" Malia joked.

Erica looked at them shock. "So are we supposed to let your family's power live and die with the man that killed Derek? I can't take it back. I'm already an alpha; It would do nothing for me. If I were to kill him, the Hale power would just disappear forever"

"Oh, that power will stay with the Hale family Erica." Cora told her. "Once my big brother is alive again, I think he would want the pleasure of killing his killer."

"Plus, Lydia said that we would need that guy to bring him back anyway, that's how she explained it while we were locking them up. The few ingredients she does remember is that you need the blood of the one that killed you, and of a relative of the same sex you are. To bring back Dad, both those things were in one person: Derek. Now we need Dad and that other Thorne."

Erica took a second to process that information. "Wait… won't it be a problem for me to be an alpha and Derek to be an alpha? Two alphas in one pack seems off."

"Not if they are mates." Cora said. "It's rare but it happens."

"Plus, lets not get our hopes up with this ritual." Malia said. "Dad says it doesn't always work."

Erica nodded. She was right she couldn't pin all her hopes on Derek rising from the dead. She had to continue on as if her it might not happen. She had to be cautious.

"I know it might not be the best time for this." Cora said. "But do you realize what you've been calling Uncle Peter?"

Malia nodded. "I slipped up at the fire a few hours ago, but found I didn't mind it. Peter Hale is my Dad. Marcus* Tate was my Daddy. I thought I would have trouble with this, like I would be betraying my Daddy, but it is not like that."

"Well some good came from today." Erica said. "I'm happy for you."

"Oh, Puppy." Malia said. "Be positive. Don't be such a Mrs. SourWolf. We're done with the Thornes, we made it out of the battle mostly whole, Stiles can be saved, and there is a strong possibility that we can bring your Mr. SourWolf back."

Erica nodded, standing up and walking to the door. "You're right. We came out of that fight way better than Derek thought we would. It could have been much, much worse. Let's get some rest so Cora can save Stiles."

* * *

Erica couldn't sleep. Not alone in their big empty bed. Nothing helped. His scent was everywhere and if felt like he was going to walk in the door and start getting ready for bed any second.

She missed him.

She lay awake listening to her pack. They were not having much success with rest either. The only ones that slept were the ones in comas, Stiles and Sarah who began walking around in a daze soon after the meeting earlier.

She listened as Scott woke from his coma a few hours after she "went to bed", and Allison and Isaac explained what happened. Before hearing the full story he ran down the stairs, to the room that Stiles and Cora shared across the hall a few doors down from her and Derek's room. Melissa, John and Cora had been sitting in the room all night.

 _Stiles._  Scott breathed out upon entering the bedroom.

She listened as everyone explained the Stiles' situation to Scott, and as Mellissa left the room to check on their others.

 _Guys, Where's Derek?_ Scott managed to say after the plan to save Stiles was explained to him and he calmed down.

She couldn't bring herself to listen as they explained the whole day to Scott. She couldn't re-live it again. Just like she couldn't listen to Lydia catching up Aiden, Ethan and Danny or Kira telling Jackson what happened. She just attempted to drown them out.

She thought she had been successful until she heard the knock at the door. Melissa opened up and walked to her. Erica didn't notice that she had been crying until Melissa sat in the bed next to her and began to dry Erica's tears with her sleeve.

"Oh sweetheart." She said as Erica sat up and hugged her. "Being by yourself in this room is not doing you any favors."

Erica cried into Melissa's shoulder for a few minutes before pulling away. "I'm sorry you should be with your sons or watching over the others."

"Silly girl. Everyone that was in a coma is in tip-top shape now, Stiles will be saved in the morning, and everyone else is fine for now. Except you, I'm needed here." Melissa said, signaling Erica to lye down and laying down next to her, holding her. "Now, let's try to get you a bit of sleep okay? You are safe, Mama McCall is right here."

Erica popped a small smile. "Mama McCall?"

"It's what the pack started calling me. I'm a mom, not just to my own kids. This group is full of former foster kids, neglected kids and orphans. Sometimes you each need mothering."

Erica snuggled into her and closed her eyes. "Don't Scott and Stiles get jealous?"

"Have you met my boys? The need save everyone and make sure they are cared for came from somewhere. Stiles may not be my son biologically, but his mom was exactly the same way as I am before she got sick."

Melissa's heartbeat was steady and strong. I soothed Erica, and by listening to it she began to drift off to sleep. "Thank you." She told Melissa as she began to drift.

"My pleasure sweetheart."

* * *

Erica woke startled a few hours later, Isaac and Allison had joined her in bed and the Sheriff and Melissa had each fallen asleep on a window seat. What had woken her?

She thought hard when she felt it… the link with Stiles was fading fast. With that she let out a howl, which ended up as an alpha-roar, and sped out of her bedroom.

_He's Dying._

Her pack, wolf and non-wolf alike had woken at her roar. When she got to the hallway she noticed that Cora was already halfway down the stairs making her way towards the basement.

"Cora." Erica said.

Cora stopped and cut her off. "I'll be right back. I don't care if I'm not rested enough. An hour of sleep will have to be enough."

"Cora. You need a human." Erica said as Allison joined them in the hallway. "Can you please go let Cora kill Eddie Thorne, and then re-ash his packmate in?"

Allison nodded and joined Cora in running down the stairs.

"Leave the body there. We'll get it when Stiles is saved." She yelled after them, and then stood outside the door to Stiles and Cora's room preventing anyone but the Sheriff and Melissa from entering. The room was not as large as her and Derek was. It could not fit the whole pack in there at once.

Cora and Allison returned after a few minutes. Erica's wolf was set on edge at the sight of another alpha but knew Cora held no interest in challenging her for the pack. Cora had a singular purpose.

As Cora began to draw away Stiles' pain, she recognized that two of her pack were not standing outside the room watching closely. They were not there as Cora screamed out, as her newly red eyes faded back to yellow and as Stiles' heart beat became stronger.

Erica sighed in relief as she felt the link with Stiles begin to repair itself and went to go investigate her missing pack members. She walked across the hall, and knocked on Peter's door, when she caught the smell.

 _Fear. Worry_.

She began pounding on the door. "Peter open up now."

As they waited, Malia sniffed the air. "Lydi, did you know that your mom spent the night with my dad this evening?"

"Ew." Lydia said. "No, I would have made my displeasure known…. Wait, Erica why are you pounding on the door? Is there something wrong?"

Peter then opened the door, his face looking strained. "She won't wake up. I woke up when you roared, and tried to wake her up and tell her about Stiles… Her heartbeat is erratic. I don't know what to do."

Erica pushed him to the side and threw on the lights to the room. Sarah was lying motionless in the bed, and her heartbeat was very erratic. Lydia came in the room after her but stopped suddenly. Erica stayed put, afraid to approach the bed any further than she had. There was a presence in the room, and she felt it.

"What is it Lydi?" Malia asked, stopping right next to her.

"Death. Derek. He's here." Lydia said.

"This is normal?" Peter asked. "The erratic heartbeat, the not being able to wake up?"

"I don't know if it's normal." Lydia snapped. "All I know is what my instincts are screaming at me. They say that a recently deceased spirit is in the process of attaching itself to my mother's consciousness."

Just then, Sarah jolted upright in the bed, screaming and thrashing around. Lydia, Peter and Malia all rushed to the bed trying to call the frightened woman down.

"You're safe Sarah. I'm here. Our girls are here. Our pack is here. You're safe." Peter whispered.

Erica backed out of the room. Was it wrong that bringing Derek back meant putting Sarah through an experience she was clearly frightened over, because judging by Sarah's reaction and how long it took for her to be calmed…it felt very wrong.

She walked across the hall and saw Stiles being embraced by his father and Melissa tending to a sweaty, pale passed out Cora.

"So what is the prognosis?" Erica asked.

"Cora should bounce back in a few hours. Stiles is as good as new." Melissa said with a simile. "What is wrong with Sarah?"

"Apparently, having Derek's spirit attach itself to your own like a parasite until you can perform a ritual to resurrect him is just as terrifying to experience as it sounds" She said.

Stiles let go of his father. "What do you mean Derek's spirit? And what is this talk of resurrection?"

"Cliff notes? Derek's dead. I'm alpha now. We intend on trying to resurrect him" Erica said before turning to leave. "Everyone try to get some sleep, we have a Thorne to burn, my mate to bury, and a ritual to prep for all while making sure no other packs decide they want to pick off the Hale Pack, because they have a tiny blonde teenager for an alpha." She ordered before walking to her room.

She listened as they all dispersed, as John and Melissa filled Stiles in before going up to their room. She listened to the hustle and bustle, the soft pillow talk between mates. She liked having everyone in one place for now. It had been practical when half of them were comatose, but she decided that everyone needed to go back to where they regularly slept tomorrow. There were four perfectly fine homes and an apartment behind the Den waiting for the occupants to return.

And frankly, the less happily mated couples she had to whisper 'I love you' before sleep, the better. The whole thing made her miss Derek even more. It made the bed seem even bigger, made his scent smell fainter, made the hole that he left behind in her soul emptier.

* * *

Hours later, while most of the pack was busy burying Derek, and erecting a makeshift gravestone; Erica had asked Ethan, Aiden and Boyd to help her burn Eddie Thorne's body. She found she got a perverse sense of joy in the burning of his body, and half of her wished that she had been there when Cora slit his throat wide open.

She didn't like that she liked this so much. She had to keep reminding herself that the lives she had taken and bodies she burned had all been bad people. People who hurt humans, women and weaker wolves for sport, people that had every intent on killing her pack, people that had killed five people close to her pack including her parents and her mate.

After Eddie was no more, She and the boys made their way to the mausoleum. When they arrived the whole pack was gathered around, either in tears or on the verge of tears. They had already buried him just outside the structure that held the remains of the Hale Family. Someone had placed a rock that was larger enough to sit on as a makeshift headstone and written his name on it.

"If this ritual doesn't work, we will bury him properly." She said. Approaching the group fighting back her own tears.

They all nodded. Knowing that they would find out in a few days if they would have to say goodbye to him forever. As everyone left the site, they tapped the gravestone and said a few words. She was the last one there.

She brought her hand to her lips then touched the hand to the gravestone. "I'll see you soon my love." She said before walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> * Made up name. Idk if we have a first name for him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> tumblr: hailhaleswriting
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014

Five days. Five days of waiting. Five days without Derek and everything was terrible.

Sarah was having night terrors each night and sometimes walking around in a daze, and when she snapped out of it she would start screaming. She had tried to hurt herself on numerous occasions. Lydia said that she had gone through something similar with Peter. This caused Peter to apologize to Lydia again, and again. After seeing how horrible of a time his mate was having sharing her mind with Derek, a person Sarah always had a good relationship with, he imagined how much worse Lydia had had it with a man she was terrified of living in her mind.

The rest of the pack had healed outwardly, but the loss of Derek and the deterioration of Sarah affected them all. After determining that there were no signs that another pack was staking them out or that anyone even knew the Hale Pack had a new alpha, everyone voted that lifting the lockdown and resuming their everyday lives was best. So two days after the battle, John and Melissa moved back home, and everyone else went back to school. Peter went to work at Hale Holdings in Derek's stead telling everyone that his nephew was horribly ill and he was to help out for a few days. Sarah decided that she needed to go to work, despite her problems thinking the normalcy would help her, so Erica went back to school too.

The routine of one class after another took her mind off the fact that her mate was dead and she was an alpha. Here she was just a teenaged girl who had missed too much school. Her teachers just wanted her to complete her work and catch up, so she did. The next few days she spent every waking moment that she wasn't running the pack at a school desk or the desk in Derek's study catching up on her schoolwork.

It only took her a few days, because she hadn't been sleeping, after that first night she refused to return to her bedroom unless it was to shower or change.

Five long days of naps on the couch, of dreams of Derek, of cleaning up the blood when Sarah had another episode, of comforting her pack members who where having a difficult time with the death of their beloved alpha/friend/family member. They were all barely holding it together, pack cuddles and bonding only eased so much pain when the person that made you a pack, made you a family, was not alive.

Luckily the full moon fell on a weekend, so no one had to leave  _Wolf's Run_. Erica sat in the living room reading, trying not to let the pull of the moon control her emotions. Everyone was on edge even John, Melissa and Allison who were not supernatural creatures.

Lydia bounced into the living room around midday, and sat next to Erica. "Everything is all set. I just spiked the kegs of a few frat parties that will happen tonight, nothing-harmful just hallucinogenic herbs to draw power from. Scott, Stiles and Boyd unburied Derek this morning so he's just lying there waiting to be awakened. Mom was able to get what she needed to do from her visions so far, so that hasn't been a waste; she and Peter are setting up what they can now. Now all we need is the moon to be up, you wolves to keep it together for a few hours, and a blood sacrifice from Peter and our guest in the basement."

Erica smiled at her, giving her a hug. "Thanks for taking the reins on this. Cora, Malia and I couldn't bring ourselves to do it…just in case it didn't work."

"No problem Erica. If you really must show thanks though, talk Derek into letting me invite people here for my birthday party this week okay? You know when he's alive again. I had to have it at mom's house last year, then I ended up spiking the drinks and resurrecting Peter so you know…bad memories."

"I'll see what I can do Lyd." Erica told her friend. "I don't see what the problem would be though, he let you all throw me a party."

Lydia laughed. "Erica dear. Your party was lovely, but we wanted to keep it a pack only affair. You were just getting to know us all. I however prefer to throw much larger gatherings. Derek hates large gatherings, especially at his secluded estate in the woods."

Erica started to tear up. "God, I miss him."

"Of course you do sweetie." Lydia said hugging her tighter. "We all miss that anti-social, grumpy, creepy sour-wolf of ours like crazy. We'll get him back. Mom is optimistic, and she is better at this banshee business than I am."

Erica nodded and broke the hug. "I hope so." She said standing up. "I'm going to try to get a nap in before nightfall."

"In your room?" Lydia asked in surprise.

Erica nodded and Lydia gave her a small, proud smile before Erica left the room.

* * *

It was time. It was finally time to attempt resurrecting Derek. Erica found that the prospect of seeing her mate alive again was more than enough to use as an anchor against the pull of the full moon. She did not want to shift; she wanted to see it happen. So after locking down the property (as they typically did on full moons), she gleefully went downstairs with Sarah, watched as she blew a grounded up mixture of herbs in the prisoners face and the helped her drag the man all the way to the site of Derek's temporary grave.

Derek's body was lying in the center of the clearing, Peter was already sitting down next to him and Sarah and Erica dragged the Thorne to the other side of Derek placing his arm in Derek's hand, which still had claws despite Derek shifting back to human when he died.

When the Thorne was placed, Erica joined the rest of the pack where they stood a few feet away on the porch of the old Hale House.

Sarah then took more herbs out of her pocket. "Sorry Peter. I have to do this to you too. You'll wake up as soon as Derek has taken enough blood."

Peter nodded and Sarah blew the substance in his face too. Once passed out she carefully placed Peter's arm in Derek's other hand. Then, as if in a daze she took a few steps from the scene maneuvering something in to place. When she did Erica noticed that a series of mirrors were carefully placed throughout the clearing; on the ground in the trees, on the porch. These mirrors took the light of the moon and concentrated it on Derek's face.

After a moment his arms twitched, and Erica could smell the scent of Peter and the Thorne's blood fill the clearing. It was second after that when Peter awoke and backed away from the scene.

She heard his heart start beating, and an intake of breath, and then she felt it: the pull and tug of the link she had shared with him. It was rebuilding itself. He was alive! It was almost to good to be true.

Cheers erupted from the pack as Derek sat up and released the Thorne. Everyone rushed over to where he was and hugged him. The entire pack was a mixture of tears and laughter.

When Sarah hugged him, Erica heard Derek whisper. "Thank you. I'm sorry for what you went through to get me back, but thank you."

"Anything for my favorite future nephew. It was worth it." Sarah smiled as she let go of him and Peter took over the hug.

"So glad you are back nephew." He said. Peter was the last to embrace Derek aside from Erica. Erica was still standing on the porch, as she hadn't run toward Derek when the pack did. Derek looked around after breaking the hug with his uncle, and spotted her. Erica was terrified that this was some beautiful, wonderful dream and she would wake up any second.

"She was a great alpha while you were away." Peter said noting where Derek was looking. Everyone else agreed.

"I'm sure she was." Derek said beginning to walk towards her, until a groan from their prisoner stopped him. His eyes glowed blue at hearing the weakened man stir and he changed direction from moving toward Erica to moving to his killer.

"He still has the Hale power Der." Cora told her brother as he stood over the man. "Malia and I don't want it."

"And I don't do well under the influence of that type of power." Peter said. "It belongs to you Derek."

Apparently the fear that his family didn't want him to be alpha again was the only thing holding him back. As soon as his relatives gave their permission Derek slit his killer's throat from ear to ear.

She felt the power that the pack had lost in the battle, the strength that Derek had gone through pain to give them all, return to the pack link. She also felt the threat a new alpha in the pack posed; because unlike alpha-Cora, this alpha intended to stay, and to lead.

 _He's ours. He'll lead with us. We love him._ She thought, trying to calm her instincts that were telling her that the male making his way toward her was a threat, that those glowing red eyes meant he was challenging her authority. She did not care much for what her instincts were screaming, because her more vocal instincts were screaming for her to run to him.

So with tears streaming and a big goofy smile on her face she ran to him. Once she was in his arms everything felt right again. She hugged him tight and he did the same.

"So I guess this means you missed me?" He said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Like crazy." She said while breaking the hug and leaning up to catch his lips in a kiss, ignoring the catcalls from the rest of the pack. "I love you." She whispered, after coming up for air.

"I love you too." He said back.

She stepped back and held out her hand and he took it. "Let's get you in the shower. And all of you go do whatever it is you do on weekends." She ordered as they all made their way to the trail that would take them back to the Den. "Our pack is whole, celebrate how you want."

"Well we'd love too Puppy-alpha." Isaac said flashing a glare at Lydia. "But our dear friend Lydia spiked the kegs at all the parties on campus. She was only supposed to choose one frat house but instead chose them all."

"Go to a club or something." Erica grumbled, as they were obviously not taking the hint that she wanted alone time with her mate.

"No thanks, we'll just have movie night." Danny said from up ahead and she could see his grin. "Plus Lydia's party is coming up, we can celebrate then; the anniversary of Lydia's birth and the resurrection of our dearest Sour-Wolf."

"Daniel, Dan, Danny-Boy. Don't insult Puppy! She is our Sour-Wolf too!" Maila said.

Derek gave her a look.

Erica grimaced. "Malia started calling me Mrs. Sour-Wolf. I hate it more than I hate Puppy."

Derek laughed. Erica smiled brightly. She missed that laugh.

"I have the distinct feeling that Puppy-alpha has some personal reasons for wanting us all gone. Have you smelt that? It is a horribly dense cloud of lust coming from them both." Stiles said.

"God! Have some decency you two! " Jackson yelled.

"Sarah, I think we should spend the night at your house." Peter said. "Mellissa and John I don't think you should stay for the movie night either. It may embarrass Erica, she's a new wolf, so she still thinks like a human when it comes to these things."

"About what?" Melissa asked.

"We're not going to have sex!" Erica yelled in embarrassment. "The man just got resurrected, give him some time to get used to being alive again!"

At this John, who was driving an ATV slowly with Melissa on the back of it, drove faster and left the group. Obviously not wanting to be apart of this conversation about sex his younger pack members were having. Sarah gave Peter a look, and he picked her up before he sped away at wolf speed.

Erica wished she could run away, but everyone was walking in front of her and Derek, going at a leisurely human pace.

"If this is the smell we have to deal with when they aren't having sex, they are going to be unbearable come mating season." Aiden said.

"Knowing Erica, being the overachiever she is, she'll go into heat first, and extremely early. Triggering us all into an early heat…" Cora said with a shudder.

"Actually that wouldn't be so bad!" Scott said, which got disapproval from his pack members. "Well yeah, heat is horribly inconvenient what whenever it happens, we basically have to stop our lives to be near our mates 24/7. But think about it! If we go through our heats early then we won't have to go through finals week with the constant need to be near our mates. Maybe I won't bomb a class because of mating season this year!" he said in excitement.

A few of the pack members looked thoughtful on this. Before they started posing questions like:  _How do we trigger a heat?_ and _Who would we trigger? Erica or Derek? Either of them would trigger our heats…_

Erica was blushing furiously. "Can we not talk about this now? Or ever? Leave our physiological processes be!"

Everyone laughed at her embarrassment, including Derek.

"She is so cute with her puritanical, human approach to sexuality." Alison said through laughter. "I can say that, because I'm human, none of you can."

"Leave her alone." Kira said. "She is allowed her privacy."

"You are right Foxy-Lady!" Stiles said. "We should stop."

The group went silent. "Stiles are you okay buddy? You love harassing the people you care for just as much as you love sarcasm and Cora." Scott asked.

"Nice to know I made the top three." Cora said elbowing her mate. "Out with it. What's wrong Stilinksi?"

"I just really want us all to watch Star Wars together tonight. And if Erica is uncomfortable, she and Derek wont come, and if this conversation is still going when we get back to the Den Mom, Dad, Peter and Sarah will leave." He said pausing. "I almost died, Derek did die. I just really want to spend out first night whole again…whole. You know?" he said

"He's right." Derek said. "I kind of want that too. The whole pack in one room, the last time we were all together we were in battle. A part of me still feels like we are."

Erica felt bad that she didn't think that Derek would want pack-time after being dead. All she wanted was an 'I miss you so much' make out session, but that could wait. If he wanted to reassure himself, and his wolf that they were all safe and sound, that is what they would do.

Everyone voiced his or her agreement. And Lydia called her mom, making sure that her and Peter, and Melissa and John hadn't left and they were going to go through the evening like they had originally planned.

"They are there still. Just getting food together." Lydia said when she hung up. "None of us had eaten much since the battle and Derek has been dead, so he must be hungry."

"Derek is hungry." Derek said then sniffed his shirt. "And covered in blood, sweat, dirt and…tears?" he said saying the last part in a confused tone.

"Yeah, you should run ahead and take a shower." Malia told him.

"Get all that dirt out, clean up!" Cora continued.

"You remember where our room is." She said pushing him forward. "Go now mister."

Derek gave the three of them an understanding look and did what they said, running ahead to shower and change.

"You Hale women are strange." Boyd said, pulling Malia in a side hug. "We all know you cried and some of us witnessed you crying over his body. It's understandable, all of us cried that day but the three of you are the only ones who won't admit it."

Stiles ran over to Boyd, and pulled him ahead away from a glaring Maila, Cora and Erica. "Hey buddy. So proud you said more than a sentence by the way… but maybe let's not talk about them crying unless they initiate the conversation? What you talk to Malia about one on one is fine, but in a group…let them bring up that stuff okay?"

Malia shook her head and walked faster to keep up with her mate and Stiles. "No, it's fine. He's right we are acting strange." She said jumping onto Boyd's back and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "It's our stubbornness and pride, Vernon."

Boyd grabbed onto her and gave her a piggy-back for the rest of the walk home. They spent the walk in relative silence and within minutes the were at the edge of the woods and could see the lights on in the Den and could hear the sounds of Derek going through his closet, Peter and John finishing dinner and Sarah and Melissa setting up food in the theater room.

"Home Sweet Home." Erica sighed.

* * *

"I hate you." she heard Derek grumble from his seat on the bed. She smiled secretly to herself from her place in the closet, trying to decide which dress to wear to her first college party.

Loud music, laughter and the sounds of binge drinking filled the Den, and Derek was not happy about it at all. It hade been three days since his re-birth, and it seemed death did not change her mate much; he was still a big ol' Sour-Wolf.

"You love me jerk. Lydia roped off the stairs. They will stay on the main floor of the Den and the yard around it. They will not go into the basement, or anyone's personal spaces. She even locked the study for you." Erica told him as she selected a shiny gold strapless dress that fell to mid thigh and fit her like a second skin.

_This should take his mind off all the people._

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" She heard him groan. "Oh, that's right. You were in the bath… and forgot to lock the door so I walked in, thinking I could use it…I fell right into your trap."

 _He's such a baby._ She though while slipping on the dress and sliding on some black heals. "It wasn't a trap. It was very convenient though. You said yes to whatever question I asked." She said walking out of the closet and turning around so he was facing her back. "Zip me."

He got up quickly and zipped her up while she fasted her triskele necklace, having already done her earrings. When he finished with the zipper and she fastened the necklace, he helped her move her hair out of the way. "You know. You don't have to wear this all the time. Triskeles and leather jackets are not the Hale Pack uniform no matter what my sister's mate and his best friend insist."

"Yes, it is. We all wear our triskeles because it's a pack thing. It shows that we are connected. We are one. We do it because we want to." She said turning around. "As for the leather jackets, they just look really cool."

She smelt the wave of desire come of him and her confidence skyrocketed. What made her laugh was his insistence to not look down. "Der? Something wrong?"

He gulped, "You have beautiful eyes." was his only response.

"I have beautiful everything." She said with a smirk, leaning in for a kiss. His mouth attacked hers and somehow they ended up on the bed, him on top of her, both of them trying to wrestle each other out of their clothing.

Just then the door to their bedroom was flung open. "The hell you are!" Lydia yelled. "You two are not having sex right now, minutes before my adoring public sings happy birthday to me! No! Have sex on your own time!" She yelled storming over to the bed, and pulling Erica off it.

Lydia helped Erica straighten her dress and hair then dragged her out the door. When she looked back she saw a grinning Derek pulling on his shirt and following behind them. "I can walk now Lyd. I promise to control myself, at least until your party is over." Erica said once they got to the stairs.

"You better." Lydia said letting go of her hand and walking ahead.

Lydia's hand was soon replaced, with Derek's. She smiled at him as they began walking down the stairs. "Will you dance with me tonight?"

"I don't dance." He said when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll dance with you babe." A stranger who was standing by the stairs drinking with his friends said.

Erica raised her eyebrow and gave her best disdainful face to the stranger, a face she got from observing her pack-sisters. The guy didn't take the hint and had grabbed her. Erica was about to give him a taste of her claws, when Derek flashed his alpha eyes at him. This got the stranger to release her, back away and by the smell of it, need a change of underpants.

Derek pulled her close to his side, keeping his arm firmly around her waist. "I had it handled." She told him.

"One more second of his hands on you and I'd would have killed him." He said to her, with the music, not many people could have heard the threat except her and any other wolf in the Den.

"Derek." Erica said calmly, guiding him to an empty corner. "Is this a jealously thing, a I-was-just-dead-so-I'm-not-used-to-my-abilities thing, or both?"

He sighed. "Both."

She hoped her face conveyed how sympathetic she was about the situation. "No one will blame you if you stay upstairs. I promise I'll come back after we sing to Lydia."

He shook his head. "No. You were looking forward to this, you want to dance, be with our friends and be around humans. I'll stay with you."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Okay. But we'll only stay for a few hours. Then we can go back to our room and block all these people out."

He nodded, then as if noticing all the people again, began to scowl. "Lydia better have a plan when it comes to cleaning up and getting all their scents out of my house. This used to be a nice Den that smelt only of pack. Now it smells of drunken, sex-crazed humans."

Erica laughed and shook her head. "I love you, even if you are a Sour-Wolf. Don't worry. She has a plan."

He smiled at her. "I love you, even if you are a Puppy-alpha."

She glared at him and punched him in his shoulder. He winced and laughed, "You use my most hated nickname against me, and I use yours. It's the way it works beautiful mate of mine."

Just then Aiden, whistled from the stairs. The music turned off, everyone quieted, and Lydia appeared at his side. He gave a short speech and then led the party in "Happy Birthday" while Ethan and Danny rolled a giant cake with twenty-two candles on it. Lydia then blew them out after a moment and everyone cheered, and the music started up again.

"Dance with me now?" She asked.

"Actually dancing, or the having-sex-with-clothes on dancing our generation enjoys?" Derek asked.

Erica simply grinned while leading him to the dance floor.

**Author's Note:**

> So this story is going to be a bit creepy, and dark, but it IS NOT going to contain any sort of non-consensual sexual acts, that's not the way I do things peeps, so no worries on that front.
> 
> I do not own TW or the characters and this work is un-betaed, so all the mistakes/goofs/typos are mine.
> 
> Originally Published: Feb. 2, 2014  
> Work Completed: March 16, 2014


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